Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling

Zeng, Mingyang; Wu, Yan; Lin, Shunfa; Zhang, Fang; Jiang, Haiyan; Ma, Lixia; Liu, Dong

doi:10.3390/plants14131905

Open AccessArticle

Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling

by

Mingyang Zeng

^†

,

Yan Wu

^†,

Shunfa Lin

,

Fang Zhang

,

Haiyan Jiang

,

Lixia Ma

and

Dong Liu

^*

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Plants 2025, 14(13), 1905; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131905

Submission received: 29 April 2025 / Revised: 17 June 2025 / Accepted: 18 June 2025 / Published: 20 June 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthocyanins, Carotenoids, and Betalains in Plants: From Biosynthesis to Function)

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Abstract

The AP2/ERF transcription factor ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 4 (ABI4) plays diverse roles in plant development and responses to abiotic stress. However, its potential involvement in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis is not fully understood. In this study, three different loss-of-function abi4 alleles (abi4-1, abi4-2, and abi4-101) were employed to investigate the role of ABI4 in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis seedlings. These abi4 mutants exhibited significantly increased anthocyanin accumulation, which was associated with elevated expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. HY5 (LONG HYPOCOTYL 5), a central component of photomorphogenesis, acts as a key light-regulated molecular switch. Further analysis revealed that ABI4 requires HY5 to function as a negative regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Additionally, loss of ABI4 resulted in heightened light sensitivity, leading to increased light-induced chlorophyll accumulation and chloroplast development, along with upregulation of photosynthesis-related genes. Interestingly, the light-hypersensitive phenotype of abi4 mutants was partially rescued by the loss of HY5 function. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that ABI4 negatively regulates anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis seedlings through a HY5-dependent light signaling pathway.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; anthocyanin; ABI4; HY5; light signaling

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zeng, M.; Wu, Y.; Lin, S.; Zhang, F.; Jiang, H.; Ma, L.; Liu, D. Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling. Plants 2025, 14, 1905. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131905

AMA Style

Zeng M, Wu Y, Lin S, Zhang F, Jiang H, Ma L, Liu D. Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling. Plants. 2025; 14(13):1905. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131905

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zeng, Mingyang, Yan Wu, Shunfa Lin, Fang Zhang, Haiyan Jiang, Lixia Ma, and Dong Liu. 2025. "Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling" Plants 14, no. 13: 1905. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131905

APA Style

Zeng, M., Wu, Y., Lin, S., Zhang, F., Jiang, H., Ma, L., & Liu, D. (2025). Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling. Plants, 14(13), 1905. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131905

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Disruption of ABI4 Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation in Arabidopsis Seedlings Through HY5-Mediated Light Signaling

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