CsCRY2 mediates blue light-triggered theanine accumulation in new shoots of tea plants in late-spring.

CsCRY2 in tea plants is linked to blue light–triggered theanine accumulation in late-spring new shoots, promoting buildup by inhibiting theanine degradation.

• Why it matters: Theanine quality declines from early- to late-spring, and the blue-light regulatory mechanism—especially how CsCRY2 acts in late-spring shoots—remains unclear.
• What they did: The study analyzed CsCRY evolutionary history using conserved motifs and cis-acting elements, then used spatiotemporal expression profiling plus blue-light supplementation, transient overexpression, and silencing.
• The result: CsCRY2 expression correlates with theanine accumulation, and blue light experiments with CsCRY2 gain- and loss-of-function show it responds to blue light and inhibits theanine degradation to increase late-spring levels.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.