Jasmonate induces translation of the Arabidopsis tRNA-binding protein YUELAO1, which activates MYC2 in jasmonate signaling

Abstract Jasmonate is ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and regulates multiple physiological processes. Although jasmonate signaling has been thoroughly investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana, most studies have focused on the transcriptional mechanisms underlying various jasmonate responses. It remains unclear whether (and how) translation-related pathways help improve transcription efficiency to modulate jasmonate signaling, which may enable plants to respond to stressful conditions effectively. Here, we demonstrate that jasmonate induces translation of the tRNA-binding protein YUELAO 1 (YL1) via a specific region in its 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR). YL1 and its homolog YL2 redundantly stimulate jasmonate responses such as anthocyanin accumulation and root growth inhibition, with the YL1 3′ UTR being critical for YL1-promoted jasmonate responses. Once translated, YL1 acts as an activator of the MYC2 transcription factor through direct interaction, and disrupting YL1 3′ UTR impairs the YL1-mediated transcriptional activation of MYC2. YL1 enhances jasmonate responses mainly in a MYC2-dependent manner. Together, these findings reveal a translational mechanism involved in jasmonate signaling and advance our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of jasmonate signaling. The YL1 3′ UTR acts as a crucial signal transducer that integrates translational and transcriptional regulation, allowing plants to respond to jasmonate in a timely fashion.