MhZAT10L positively modulates NaCl-induced cell death by triggering MhVPEγ transcription in Malus hupehensis

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Excess sodium chloride (NaCl) in soil causes several secondary stresses for plants. The plant-specific vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) plays a positive role in regulating stress-induced cell death. Here, we observed that NaCl treatment leads to a significant increase in cell death and upregulation of MhVPEγ expression in Malus hupehensis roots. Meanwhile, we also identified a C2H2-type transcription factor upstream of MhVPEγ, MhZAT10L, which positively regulated MhVPEγ transcription. The transcription of MhZAT10L was induced by NaCl. And genetic experiments using transgenic Malus hupehensis roots and apple calli showed that the suppression of MhZAT10L decreased their sensitivity to NaCl, as well as mitigated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell death, and MhVPEγ expression induced by NaCl. Conversely, the overexpression of MhZAT10L enhanced their sensitivity to NaCl, accelerated ROS generation, and promoted cell death by directly activating MhVPEγ transcription. Overall, our findings indicate that MhZAT10L positively regulates NaCl-induced cell death by activating MhVPEγ transcription.