Cold-Induced Freezing Tolerance in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 391 - 399
• Main Authors: Wanner, Leslie A., Junttila, Olavi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD American Society of Plant Physiologists 01-06-1999; American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subjects: Acclimatization; Acclimatization - physiology; Accumulation; Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Altitude tolerance; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis - radiation effects; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Climatic adaptation. Acclimatization; Cold Temperature; Environmental and Stress Physiology; Freezing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; General agronomy. Plant production; Genes, Plant; Leaves; Light; Low temperature; Messenger RNA; Photoperiod; Photophase; Photosynthesis; Physical agents; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Proline - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Plant - genetics; RNA, Plant - metabolism; Solutes; Sugar; Sugars; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Temperature; Arabidopsis; Induction; Cold resistance; Proline; Plant leaf; Osmoticum; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Light; Angiospermae; Herbaceous plant; Spermatophyta; Biological accumulation; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.120.2.391

Changes in the physiology of plant leaves are correlated with enhanced freezing tolerance and include accumulation of compatible solutes, changes in membrane composition and behavior, and altered gene expression. Some of these changes are required for enhanced freezing tolerance, whereas others are merely consequences of low temperature. In this study we demonstrated that a combination of cold and light is required for enhanced freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis leaves, and this combination is associated with the accumulation of soluble sugars and proline. Sugar accumulation was evident within 2 h after a shift to low temperature, which preceded measured changes in freezing tolerance. In contrast, significant freezing tolerance was attained before the accumulation of proline or major changes in the percentage of dry weight were detected. Many mRNAs also rapidly accumulated in response to low temperature. All of the cold-induced mRNAs that we examined accumulated at low temperature even in the absence of light, when there was no enhancement of freezing tolerance. Thus, the accumulation of these mRNAs is insufficient for cold-induced freezing tolerance.