A CONSTANS-like transcriptional co-activator couples ethylene signaling to jasmonate biosynthesis and is targeted by a fungal effector.

MdCOL4, an apple CONSTANS-like co-activator, couples ethylene signaling to jasmonate biosynthesis by enhancing MdERF098-driven MdOPR2/MdOPR3 transcription during resistance to Valsa mali infection.

• Why it matters: Ethylene and jasmonate synergize in immunity to necrotrophic pathogens, but the transcriptional mechanism linking ethylene signaling to jasmonate biosynthesis was unclear.
• What they did: MdERF098 directly activates MdOPR2 and MdOPR3, while MdCOL4 physically associates with MdERF098 and boosts its DNA-binding activity; a Valsa mali effector, Vm11039, enters nuclei and binds MdCOL4 more strongly than MdERF098.
• The result: Vm11039 competitively disrupts the MdCOL4–MdERF098 complex, attenuating jasmonate accumulation and promoting Valsa mali infection, revealing co-activator complexes as effector-targeted regulatory hubs.

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