Functional characterization of CiCIPK8 and CiCIPK11 reveals their roles in osmotic stress via CBL-CIPK signaling in pecan (Carya illinoinensis).

CiCIPK8 and CiCIPK11 enhance osmotic stress tolerance in pecan by activating antioxidant defenses and osmolyte accumulation, with significantly improved seed germination and root growth under stress.

• Why it matters: Understanding how pecan trees respond to osmotic stress is crucial for improving crop resilience and productivity, yet the specific roles of CiCIPKs in this process are not well understood.
• What they did: Researchers cloned and expressed CiCIPK8 and CiCIPK11 in Arabidopsis, then assessed their effects on stress responses, including physiological, transcriptomic, and protein interaction analyses involving Y2H and BiFC assays.
• The result: The findings show that these genes promote stress tolerance through ROS scavenging, osmotic adjustment, and transcriptional regulation, providing promising targets for breeding stress-resilient woody crops.