An RNA helicase coordinates with iron signal regulators to alleviate chilling stress in Arabidopsis

Yingying Xing, Yawen Li, Xinmeng Gui, Xianyu Zhang, Qian Hu, Qiqi Zhao, Yongli Qiao, Ning Xu () and Jun Liu ()
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Yingying Xing: China Agricultural University
Yawen Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xinmeng Gui: Shanghai Normal University
Xianyu Zhang: China Agricultural University
Qian Hu: China Agricultural University
Qiqi Zhao: China Agricultural University
Yongli Qiao: Shanghai Normal University
Ning Xu: China Agricultural University
Jun Liu: China Agricultural University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Chilling stress is one of the major environmental stresses that restrains plant development and growth. Our previous study showed that a potential iron sensor BTS (BRUTUS) was involved in temperature response in Arabidopsis plants. However, whether plant iron homeostasis is involved in plant response to temperature fluctuation is not known. In this study, we discover that BTS mutant bts-2 is sensitive to chilling stress, and the sensitivity is attributed to the accumulation of iron. The suppressor screening of bts-2 led to the discovery of RH24, a DEAD-box RNA helicase, that fully suppresses bts-2 chilling sensitivity. RH24 is accumulated under low temperatures, where it unwinds the iron regulator ILR3 (IAA-leucine resistant 3) mRNA and increases the ILR3 protein levels. Intriguingly, RH24 sequesters ILR3 in phase-separated condensates to reduce ILR3-mediated iron overload, and BTS or cold treatments further facilitated the condensate formation. Therefore, RH24 and BTS coordinately control ILR3 to reduce iron uptake under chilling stress. Our findings reveal that the RNA helicase RH24 and BTS finetunes ILR3 to maintain plant iron homeostasis in response to temperature fluctuations.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59334-9

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