MdHY5 positively regulates cold tolerance in apple by integrating the auxin and abscisic acid pathways.

Low-temperature stress causes various types of physiological and biochemical damage to plants. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family transcription factor HY5 plays a significant role in multiple stress responses in plants. Here, cold stress was found to induce the upregulation of MdHY5 expression, which, in turn, positively regulates the cold tolerance of apple (Malus domestica).

Regulates Water Use Efficiency in Transgenic Apple () Under Long-Term Moderate Water Deficit.

Improved water use efficiency (WUE) promotes plant survival and crop yield under water deficit conditions. Although the plant-specific HD-Zip I transcription factors have important roles in plant adaptation to various abiotic stresses, including water deficit, their functions in regulating WUE of apple () are poorly understood. We characterized the role of in WUE regulation by subjecting transgenic plants to long-term moderate soil water deficit.