Computational Molecular Biology 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 26-37 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/cmb 27 make them less afraid of drought and insects. But the problem is, climate change is becoming increasingly sinister. Today is hot and sunny, but who knows if these technologies are reliable? So, current research not only focuses on molecular mechanisms, but also on how to make potatoes survive well in extreme weather conditions. There are still many unanswered questions in this regard, such as how certain hormones work or why tubers suddenly collapse when the temperature changes-all of which need to be further explored. 2 Genetic Regulation in Tuber Initiation 2.1 Transcription factors governing tuber formation It's not that simple to say how potato tubers start to grow. Do you think gene is the the final say? Actually, it depends on whether the environment gives face or not-external factors such as lighting and temperature often come in handy. The key is that some specific transcription factors are pounding there, transmitting signals to the cells, allowing the creeping stem to slowly expand into a tuber. But it's interesting that sometimes even when the conditions are right, some plants just don't grow tubers. Do you think it's strange? This also involves how genes are activated, how cells divide and differentiate, and even how starch accumulates. What's more, these processes are also affected by epigenetic regulation, which means that although the gene is there, whether it can work depends on the mood (post transcriptional regulation also plays a role). So, don't think it's just a matter of growing tubers, it's actually a bunch of signals fighting and finally reaching a consensus to start developing. If we talk about what controls potatoes to start growing tubers, there are actually several transcription factors working on it. For example, StBEL5 is quite interesting because it doesn't just stay in one place-it can run from leaves to creeping stems and become active especially when the days get shorter (Hannapel and Banerjee, 2017). However, it alone is not enough. We need to work together with the StCDF1 gene to raise the level of StSP6A, so that the tubers will emerge. But things are not that simple, there is also someone called StbHLH93 involved, specializing in the conversion of starch bodies. If we knock it out, the trouble would be big-the number of tubers is not only pitifully small, but their size will also shrink significantly (Yang et al., 2023). It's not surprising that they are all regulatory factors, some are responsible for initiating, while others specialize in starch accumulation. Their cooperation is quite seamless. It is interesting that the StCDF1 factor is particularly active during short daylight hours, but its way of working is quite convoluted-it needs to be held down first so that StSP6A can work freely (Kondhare et al., 2019). When it comes to StSP6A, it is the "switch" that directly generates tubers. However, the matter of tubers is not over yet. Whether to sleep soundly or continue growing after they grow depends on StTCP15's expression. This transcription factor is particularly adept at balancing and regulating the hormones abscisic acid and gibberellin in a harmonious manner (Wang et al., 2022). You see, from the beginning of growth to dormancy and then to germination, there are different regulatory factors competing at each stage. No wonder the development of potato tubers is always unpredictable. 2.2 Epigenetic modifications When it comes to how tubers start to grow, just looking at genes is not enough. Those invisible epigenetic modifications are actually playing a lot of tricks behind the scenes. DNA methylation, histone modification, these fancy modification methods can all cause gene expression to change constantly. Interestingly, there is a histone modification protein called StMSI1 that is particularly meddlesome. It moves around with the Polycomb inhibitory complex, controlling the key genes for the development of above-ground and underground tubers tightly (Kondhare et al., 2021). However, this matter is rather mysterious. The same gene may behave completely differently in different plants. It's probably these epigenetic modifications at play. When it comes to tuber development, there is an interesting discovery-small things called phasiRNAs are also secretly manipulating the entire process. Don't be fooled by their small size, they have great abilities and are specifically responsible for silencing certain genes, especially those related to hormone signaling and stress response. For example, there is a phasiRNA called siRD29 (-) that specifically targets the GIBBERELLIN 3-OXIDASE 3 gene and tightly controls the synthesis of gibberellin (Malankar et al., 2023). This explains why sometimes even though genes are there, they just don't work. So, whether the tubers can grow smoothly depends
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