bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.07.757225
The cleaved C-terminal domain of GmERS1-1 modulates cell cycle via GmACR1
Abstract
Ethylene signaling orchestrates plant development and stress adaptation, yet how post-translational modifications of its receptors coordinate growth regulation remains unresolved. Here, we uncover a proteolytic processing mechanism of the soybean ethylene receptor GmERS1-1 that directly gates cell cycle progression. The GmERS1-1 mutants exhibit elevated yield under field conditions, whereas overexpression suppresses growth and hypersensitizes plants to ethylene. Ethylene triggers nuclear translocation of C-terminal domain (GmERS1-1-CEND), which is indispensable for receptor function. Mechanistically, GmERS1-1-CEND scaffolds a trimeric complex with GmACR1 and GmCDK7, enforcing G2/M phase arrest, thereby decoupling cell division from canonical ethylene transcriptional responses. Strikingly, ethylene-induced cell cycle blockade during apple fruit maturation mirrors this pathway, suggesting deep conservation across angiosperms. Our work defines a receptor processing-dependent signaling axis that directly interlinks phytohormone perception with cell cycle control, proposing tunable targets (e.g., GmERS1-1 cleavage efficiency) for engineering crop architecture and productivity.
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Chen, K., Zhou, Y., Tang, W., Wang, D., Bai, Y., Wang, C., Li, W., Li, X., Guo, D., Zhang, M., Yan, J., Guo, J., Zhao, Y., Shan, B., Chen, J., Xu, Z., He, Y., Ma, J., Song, Q., Li, H., Qiu, L., Wang, H., Chen, M., Ma, Y.-z.. 2026-10-08. The cleaved C-terminal domain of GmERS1-1 modulates cell cycle via GmACR1. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.07.757225
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