Stepwise allelic trajectory of ETP2 underlies trade-off between UVB tolerance and submergence adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Nature Communications, Published online: 13 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76499-z Here, the authors show that a WRKY36-ETP2-EIN2/WRKY22 module balances UVB and flood tolerance in Arabidopsis. They identify a promoter deletion in a Tibet accession that boosts UVB defense but reduces flood tolerance, while a SNP fine-tunes repression, suggesting stepwise climate adaptation.