PLATZ Transcription Factors in Plant Stress Responses

PLATZ transcription factors constitute a plant‐specific class of zinc‐dependent DNA‐binding proteins that regulate key gene networks underpinning growth, development and responses to environmental challenges. Characterised by their conserved zinc‐finger motifs and affinity for AT-rich DNA sequences, PLATZ proteins modulate transcriptional programmes in response to drought, salinity, cold and other abiotic stresses. Genome-wide surveys across diverse species—from Arabidopsis and rice to maize, tomato and woody perennials—have delineated phylogenetic relationships, gene structures and expression profiles, revealing both conserved cores and lineage-specific expansions. Functional assays, including real-time quantitative PCR and transgenic studies, demonstrate that specific PLATZ members enhance stress tolerance through integration of hormonal signals such as abscisic acid and by fine-tuning osmotic and developmental pathways. These insights position PLATZ factors as central nodes for engineering climate-resilient crops and for elucidating how plants orchestrate complex stress-adaptive transcriptional responses.

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Technical terms

PLATZ transcription factor: A plant-specific zinc-dependent DNA-binding protein that regulates gene expression. Abiotic stress: Environmental pressures from non-living factors such as drought, salinity or extreme temperature. Zinc-finger motif: A conserved protein domain that coordinates zinc ions to stabilise the DNA-binding fold. Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone central to water-deficit signalling and stress responses. Segmental duplication: A genomic event in which large chromosomal segments are copied, contributing to gene-family expansion. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR): A technique for quantifying gene expression by measuring amplified RNA transcripts in real time.

References

1. Genome-Wide Identification and Phylogenetic and Expression Analyses of the PLATZ Gene Family in Medicago sativa L.. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. Identification of PLATZ genes in Malus and expression characteristics of MdPLATZs in response to drought and ABA stresses. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
3. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the PLATZ Transcription Factor in Tomato. Plants (2023).
4. Expression of cotton PLATZ1 in transgenic Arabidopsis reduces sensitivity to osmotic and salt stress for germination and seedling establishment associated with modification of the abscisic acid, gibberellin, and ethylene signalling pathways. BMC Plant Biology (2018).