@article{Hou2026, 
author = {Xiaoyang Hou and Li Guo and Chengjin Guo and Yanyang Zhang and Xinxin Shi and Wanrong Duan and Xiaoxin Fu and Jinzhi Liu and Hongning Zhang and Haiyang Wang and Kai Xiao},
title = {Phosphatase member TaPP2C62-2A cooperates with downstream partners to regulate drought response in wheat},
year = {2026},
journal = {The Crop Journal},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {345-361},
keywords = {Drought stress, Gene function, Gene transcription, Phosphatase, Physiological indices, Triticum aestivum},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.cj.2025.10.017},
doi = {10.1016/j.cj.2025.10.017},
abstract = {Drought is a major limiting factor for growth, development, and yield in wheat. TaPP2C62-2A, a clade A type phosphatase (PP2C) member in T. aestivum, was identified as a mediator of drought response. TaPP2C62-2A expression was downregulated in tissues in response to drought and abscisic acid signaling, which is linked to a transcriptional silencer in the promoter region. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed interaction between TaPP2C62-2A and SnRK2 kinase TaSnRK2.5-2D and that TaSnRK2.5-2D also interacted with bZIP transcription factor TaABI5-3B with both interactions occurring via distinct conserved domains to establish a regulatory module of TaPP2C62-2A with the above partners. Transgene analyses revealed that this module is essential in modulating drought responses. TaPP2C62-2A negatively regulates drought tolerance, whereas TaSnRK2.5-2D and TaABI5-3B positively regulate plant growth and agronomic traits under drought conditions. The modified drought response mediated by TaPP2C62-2A and its associated components was ascribed to their functions in regulating osmotic stress-related physiological processes, including stomatal movement, osmolyte biosynthesis, leaf water retention, root morphology, and homeostasis of reactive oxygen species. TaABI5-3B binds with the promoters of stress-responsive genes, including S-type channel gene TaSLAC1-3, P5CS gene TaP5CS1, PIP gene TaPIP2;1, PIN-FORMED gene TaPIN4, and catalase gene TaCAT6, leading to their transcriptional activation. Transgene analysis confirmed the positive roles of these stress-responsive genes in regulating drought tolerance. Significant correlations were observed between yield and TaPP2C62-2A transcription and its module genes in a wheat variety panel subjected to drought conditions, with haplotype TaPP2C62-2A_h1 enhancing drought adaptation capacity. Our study presents novel insights into plant drought response associated with PP2C regulatory module and provides substantial genetic resources for breeding drought-tolerant wheat cultivars.}
}