{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T11:06:13Z","timestamp":1789729573347,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":86,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":9,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32372648"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32372648"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["U24A20414"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U24A20414"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32472667"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32472667"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["The Plant Journal"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>SUMMARY<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Apples are sun\u2010loving plants, and excessive canopy closure in orchards leads to poor ventilation and reduced light penetration, ultimately limiting yield and fruit quality. Autophagy is a conserved mechanism for recycling cellular materials and energy in eukaryotes and is known to participate in multiple stress responses. However, whether autophagy contributes to low\u2010light adaptation remains largely unclear. Here, we show that\n                    <jats:italic>MdATG5a<\/jats:italic>\n                    enhances the tolerance of apple plants to low\u2010light conditions. Under low light,\n                    <jats:italic>MdATG5a<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2010overexpressing (OE) plants exhibited higher photosynthetic capacity, greater biomass, and increased carbohydrate accumulation compared with wild\u2010type (WT) plants. During acclimation to low light, OE plants enhanced light harvesting and promoted the turnover of photosynthetic proteins by increasing leaf area and the leaf nitrogen content. Relative to WT, OE plants displayed a lower light compensation point and light saturation point, reduced dark respiration rate, higher net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, and less structural and functional damage to chloroplasts and photosystem II. Metabolite profiling further revealed that OE plants had more stable levels of flavonoids and carbohydrates and their derivatives. OE plants also showed higher autophagic activity than WT plants, and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy abolished the growth advantage of OE plants under low light. Moreover, we found that\n                    <jats:italic>MdATG5a<\/jats:italic>\n                    is positively regulated by MdPIF7, a key transcription factor in shade\u2010related light signaling. Together, these findings indicate that\n                    <jats:italic>MdATG5a<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2010mediated autophagy, regulated by MdPIF7, is crucial for the adaptation of apple to low light by enhancing autophagic flux, improving photosynthetic performance, and stabilizing metabolic homeostasis.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.71108","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T08:47:12Z","timestamp":1789030032000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["<scp>\n                      <i>MdATG5a<\/i>\n                    <\/scp>\n                    \u2010mediated autophagy improves apple performance under low light"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"127","author":[{"given":"Weijia","family":"Xiang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yue","family":"Fang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanghao","family":"Long","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qiuxian","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ziyan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6028-1444","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiaoqing","family":"Gong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0608-2521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fengwang","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High\u2010Efficiency Production\/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture Northwest A&amp;F University  Yangling 712100 Shaanxi China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","first-page":"309","article-title":"Effect of certain plant growth regulators on growth and yield of sunflower","volume":"7","author":"Anitha R.","year":"2007","journal-title":"Plant Archives"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1105\/tpc.114.134205"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature06069"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.14701"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plphys\/kiad004"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.12964"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15548627.2022.2153573"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.19353"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Thoughts and practices on the optimization of apple variety structure in China III: simplified management and mechanization\u2010adapted apple varieties promote the transformation and upgrading of China's apple industry","volume":"7","author":"Chen X.","year":"2025","journal-title":"China Fruits"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plphys\/kiag173"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-024-51834-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy13082058"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2016.10.031"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/femsec\/fiv027"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15548627.2023.2247300"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8137.2008.02507.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0243954"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/eap.1542"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15548627.2023.2175570"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11105-014-0735-z"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plcell\/koad119"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10265-019-01111-z"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12870-017-0976-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41438-020-0243-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-022-33384-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plantsci.2021.111052"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envexpbot.2022.104840"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plcell\/koaf196"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2019.11.029"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15548627.2022.2054039"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_32_1","first-page":"1709","article-title":"Comparison of green and variegated foliage plant species based on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters under different light intensities","volume":"47","author":"Khalekuzzaman M.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pakistan Journal of Botany"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-1127(99)00339-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/ern099"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plcell\/koaf211"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.16590"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2023.1018984"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2022.09.010"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_39_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Reflections on the development of China's apple industry: current situation, problems and solution","volume":"55","author":"Ma F.W.","year":"2023","journal-title":"Deciduous Fruits"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.0016-8025.2001.00811.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00227-006-0321-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1104\/pp.18.01418"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.13096"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2018.12.022"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.18424"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00299-014-1648-x"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4238\/2012.August.17.3"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00114-017-1445-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2216497120"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2095-3119(20)63227-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_51_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/FP12100"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23158441"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_53_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2016.06.021"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_54_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11738-018-2639-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0022236"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2095-3119(12)60166-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2095-3119(13)60670-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erx213"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.173506"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2012.10.007"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15252\/embj.2022112534"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_62_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2022.870681"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.18198"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_64_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.15452"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_65_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/agriculture11080755"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_66_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jplph.2022.153814"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10265-018-1027-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2023.108214"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11099-007-0059-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pbi.2024.102668"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_71_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10725-023-00969-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_72_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molp.2020.02.011"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_73_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2017.11.017"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_74_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15252\/embj.2022111472"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fcr.2015.09.005"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_76_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hpj.2024.07.006"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_77_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15548627.2023.2251324"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_78_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00344-019-10027-w"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_79_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2022.999026"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_80_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/pbi.14057"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_81_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envexpbot.2022.104780"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_82_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23063015"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_83_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21197350"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_84_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1104\/pp.19.00494"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_85_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indcrop.2021.114396"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_86_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indcrop.2024.118240"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_87_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jipb.12880"}],"container-title":["The Plant Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/tpj.71108","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/tpj.71108","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/tpj.71108","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T10:46:27Z","timestamp":1789728387000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/tpj.71108"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"references-count":86,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/tpj.71108"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/tpj.71108","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0960-7412","1365-313X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0960-7412","type":"print"},{"value":"1365-313X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-12-02","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-08-22","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-09-10","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e71108"}}