The transcription factor SbHY5 mediates light to promote aluminum tolerance by activating SbMATE and SbSTOP1s expression

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major factor limiting crop yields in acid soils. Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a high-efficient energy crop widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where acid soil is common and Al toxicity is widespread. Here, we characterized a transcription factor SbHY5 in sweet sorghum, which mediated light to promote plant Al stress adaptation. The expression of SbHY5 was induced by Al stress and increasing light intensity. The overexpression of SbHY5 improved Al tolerance in transgenic plants, which was associated with increased citrate secretion and reduced Al content in roots. Meanwhile, SbHY5 was found to localize to the nucleus and displayed transcriptional activity. SbHY5 directly activated the expression of SbMATE, indicating that a HY5-MATE-dependent citrate secretion pathway is involved in Al tolerance in plants. SbSTOP1 was reported as a key transcription factor, regulating several Al tolerance genes. Here, inspiringly, we found that SbHY5 directly promoted the transcription of SbSTOP1, implying the existence of HY5-STOP1-Al tolerance genes-mediated regulatory pathways. Besides, SbHY5 positively regulated its own transcription. Our findings revealed a novel regulatory network in which a light signaling factor, SbHY5, confers Al tolerance in plants by modulating the expression of Al stress response genes.