bZIP-Mediated Activation of a Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein MsLEA2 Enhances Aluminium Tolerance in Medicago sativa.

Golgi-targeted MsLEA2 in Medicago sativa enhances aluminium tolerance by promoting apoplastic Al exclusion, oxalate exudation, ROS scavenging, and cell wall remodelling.

• Why it matters: ABA rises quickly in roots under aluminium stress, but how it regulates aluminium-detoxification genes is unclear. This work addresses the missing link between ABA signaling and LEA2-driven tolerance.
• What they did: Using yeast one-hybrid, luciferase complementation imaging, mutagenesis, and EMSA, the study maps a hierarchical ABA-responsive network where MsABF2, MsDPBF3, and MsGBF1 regulate MsLEA2 via spatially distinct ABRE motifs. It also tests MsLEA2 functions through interactions with MsPIP2;1, MsPIP2;2, MsTIP1;1, and MsUXS1.
• The result: MsLEA2 acts as a multifunctional hub that enables oxalate exudation, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and cell wall remodelling, and its Golgi targeting supports apoplastic Al exclusion. This compartment-specific mechanism is distinct from cytoplasmic AtLEA14, suggesting LEA2 proteins as engineering targets for acidic soils.

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