Tailored protein stability for stress resilience in light and dark

Light influences essentially all aspects of plant growth and development. Furthermore, plants are likely to adjust their stress responses based on fluctuations in energy availability during the dark-light cycle. Lin et al investigated a hormone downstream component, ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1), and discovered that its posttranslational modifications are coordinated by dark or light conditions. In the light, sumoylated ERF1 is associated with SUMO‐CONJUGATING ENZYME 1 (SCE1) and triggers stress-responsive gene expression. On the other hand, CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) orchestrates ERF1 degradation in darkness by facilitating ubiquitination, negatively impacting stress tolerance mechanisms. This work sheds light on how plants integrate light signals and manage stress responses. (Summary by Yueh Cho @YuehCho1984) Plant Cell Environ.  10.1111/pce.14850.