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Group VII ethylene response factors (ERFVIIs), whose stability is oxygen concentration-dependent, play key roles in regulating hypoxia response genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) during submergence. To understand the evolution of flooding tolerance in cereal crops, we evaluated whether Brachypodium distachyon ERFVII genes (BdERFVIIs) are related to submergence tolerance. We found that three BdERFVIIs, BdERF108, BdERF018, and BdERF961, form a feedback regulatory loop to mediate downstream responses. BdERF108 and BdERF018 activated the expression of BdERF961 and PHYTOGLOBIN 1 (PGB1), which promoted nitric oxide turnover and preserved ERFVII protein stability. The activation of PGB1 was subsequently counteracted by increased BdERF961 accumulation through negative feedback regulation. Interestingly, we found that OsERF67, the orthologue of BdERF961 in rice, activated PHYTOGLOBIN (OsHB2) expression and formed distinct regulatory loops during submergence. Overall, the divergent regulatory mechanisms exhibited by orthologs collectively offer perspectives for the development of submergence-tolerant crops. Three Group VII ethylene response factors form a refined regulatory loop involving transcriptional and protein stability controls in the submergence stress response in Brachypodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study on gene editing in Salvia miltiorrhiza, a plant used in Eastern medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases. The researchers developed a protoplast regeneration system for S. miltiorrhiza using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. They targeted seven transcription factor genes involved in the production of bioactive compounds in the plant. The study demonstrated high-efficiency gene editing and the regeneration of knockout plants, which could potentially enhance the contents of active compounds in medicinal plants. [Extracted from the article]