PATROL1-mediated H+-ATPase translocation boosts plant growth under drought by optimizing root and leaf functions

Optimizing leaf photosynthesis and root water and mineral uptake in crops during drought is crucial for enhancing agricultural productivity under climate change. Although plasma membrane H+-ATPase plays a key role in plant physiological processes, its overexpression alone does not consistently improve growth. While PROTON ATPASE TRANSLOCATION CONTROL 1 (PATROL1) regulates H+-ATPase translocation in response to various environmental stimuli in leaves, its function in roots remains largely unknown. Here we show that H+-ATPase was coimmunoprecipitated with PATROL1 in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Micrografting between wild type and PATROL1 knockout or overexpression lines showed that PATROL1 are indispensable in both shoots and roots, indicating that root uptake and leaf photosynthesis are simultaneous limiting factors for plant growth under drought conditions. PATROL1 overexpression in whole plants resulted in a 41% increase above wild type in shoot dry weight under drought conditions. These findings highlight the potential of H+-ATPase regulation in roots as a new strategy to improve plant productivity, particularly under drought conditions.