AUTHOR=Zhang Chenguang , Zhang XIaoshuang , Cheng Bo , Wu Junkai , Zhang Libin , Xiao Xiao , Zhang Dong , Zhao Caiping , An Na , Han Mingyu , Xing Libo 

TITLE=MdNup54 Interactions With MdHSP70 Involved in Flowering in Apple

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.903808

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.903808

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Flowering-related problems in “Fuji” apple have severely restricted the development of China’s apple industry. Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) control nucleoplasmic transport and play an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development. However, the effects of NPCs on apple flowering have not been reported. Here, we analysed the expression and function of <italic>MdNup54</italic>, a component of apple NPC. <italic>MdNup54</italic> expression was the highest in flower buds and maintained during 30–70 days after flowering. <italic>MdNup54</italic>-overexpressing (OE) <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> lines displayed significantly earlier flowering than that of the wild type. We further confirmed that MdNup54 interacts with MdHSP70, MdMYB11, and MdKNAT4/6. Consistent with these observations, flowering time of <italic>MdHSP70</italic>-OE <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> lines was also significantly earlier. Therefore, our findings suggest a possible interaction of MdNup54 with MdHSP70 to mediate its nuclear and cytoplasmic transport and to regulate apple flowering. The results enhance the understanding of the flowering mechanism in apple and propose a novel strategy to study nucleoporins.</p>