背景回顾：Drought and cold stresses seriously affect tree growth and fruit yield during apple (Malus domestica) production, with combined stress causing injury such as shoot shriveling. 

提出问题：However, the molecular mechanism underlying crosstalk between responses to drought and cold stress remains to be clarified. 

主要发现：In this study, we characterized the zinc finger transcription factor ZINC FINGER OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 10 (ZAT10) through comparative analysis of shoot-shriveling tolerance between tolerant and sensitive apple rootstocks. 

结果1-ZAT10基因功能：MhZAT10 responded to both drought and cold stress. Heterologous expression of MhZAT10 in the sensitive rootstock ‘G935’ from domesticated apple (Malus domestica) promoted shoot-shriveling tolerance, while silencing of MhZAT10 expression in the tolerant rootstock ‘SH6’ of Malus honanensis reduced stress tolerance. 

结果2-ZAT10上游DREB2A：We determined that the apple transcription factor DEHYDRATION RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN 2A (DREB2A) is a direct regulator activating the expression of MhZAT10 in response to drought stress. Apple plants overexpressing both MhDREB2A and MhZAT10 genes exhibited enhanced tolerance to drought and cold stress, while plants overexpressing MhDREB2A but with silenced expression of MhZAT10 showed reduced tolerance, suggesting a critical role of MhDREB2A-MhZAT10 in the crosstalk between drought and cold stress responses. 

结果3-ZAT10下游MYBs：We further identified drought-tolerant MhWRKY31 and cold-tolerant MhMYB88 and MhMYB124 as downstream regulatory target genes of MhZAT10. 

结论：Our findings reveal a MhDREB2A-MhZAT10 module involved in crosstalk between drought and cold stress responses, which may have applications in apple rootstock breeding programs aimed at developing shoot-shriveling tolerance.

干旱和低温胁迫严重影响苹果的树体生长和果实产量，并且干旱和低温的复合胁迫会导致嫩枝枯萎等严重损伤。但是，苹果对于干旱和低温胁迫响应之间的交联还不清楚。本文中，作者通过比较对嫩枝枯萎抗性和敏感性的苹果砧木，鉴定到了一个锌指转录因子ZAT10。MhZAT10同时响应干旱和低温胁迫。在敏感性砧木G935中异源表达MhZAT10基因会增强其嫩枝枯萎的耐受性，而在抗性砧木SH6中沉默MhZAT10基因会降低其胁迫耐受性。作者还鉴定到了DREB2A是MhZAT10响应干旱胁迫下的一个直接的转录激活因子。过表达MhDREB2A和MhZAT10的苹果植株，其对干旱和低温胁迫的抗性都会得到增强；但是，MhDREB2A过表达而MhZAT10沉默的植株，其胁迫耐受性能力下降，说明了MhDREB2A-MhZAT10模块在苹果对干旱和低温响应交联中的作用。作者进一步发现，干旱耐受性基因MhWRKY31和低温耐受性基因MhMYB88/124是MhZAT10的下游调控靶基因。本文的研究结果揭示了一个参与干旱和低温胁迫响应交联的分子模块MhDREB2A-MhZAT10，在将来开发嫩枝枯萎抗性的苹果砧木育种中存在潜在应用价值。