Specific CBF transcription factors and cold‐responsive genes fine‐tune the early triggering response after acquisition of cold priming and memory

Abstract

Plants need to adapt to fluctuating temperatures throughout their lifetime. Previous research showed that Arabidopsis memorizes a first cold stress (priming) and improves its primed freezing tolerance further when subjected to a second similar stress after a lag phase. This study investigates primary metabolomic and transcriptomic changes during early cold priming or triggering after 3 days at 4°C interrupted by a memory phase. DREB1 family transcription factors DREB1C/CBF2, DREB1D/CBF4, DREB1E/DDF2, and DREB1F/DDF1 were strongly significantly induced throughout the entire triggering. During triggering, genes encoding Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA), antifreeze proteins or detoxifiers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were higher expressed compared with priming. Examples of early triggering responders were xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase genes encoding proteins involved in cell wall remodeling, while late responders were identified to act in fine‐tuning the stress response and developmental regulation. Induction of non‐typical members of the DREB subfamily of ERF/AP2 transcription factors, the relatively small number of induced CBF regulon genes and a slower accumulation of selected cold stress associated metabolites indicate that a cold triggering stimulus might be sensed as milder stress in plants compared with priming. Further, strong induction of CBF4 throughout triggering suggests a unique function of this gene for the response to alternating temperatures.

Peruvian Amaranth (kiwicha) Accumulates Higher Levels of the Unsaturated Linoleic Acid

“…Although induction can be seen in A. hypochondriacus × hybridus as well, it occurs at a much lower amplitude. Among the Cold Box Factors, CBF4 differs by a slower but more persistent induction by cold stress (grapevine [ 87 , 88 ]; strawberry [ 89 ]; Arabidopsis thaliana [ 90 ]). Upon overexpression, it confers freezing tolerance (grapevine [ 91 ]; tobacco [ 92 ]; cotton [ 93 ]) and, thus, is thought to be a central activator of cold adaptation.…”

Dehydration Stress Memory Genes in Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.)

“…It is important to pinpoint the importance of stress-specific biomarkers, e.g., heat and drought of salinity [ 13 ], which are a reflection of epigenetic modulations that are intern mediated by stress-specific memory genes. This was found to be the case when investigating Arabidopsis under diverse stress conditions, e.g., drought [ 17 , 18 ], heat [ 46 ] or cold stress [ 47 ].…”

Remember the time

“…Knowing how plants respond to cold, and how a memory changes their response, might translate to breeding programs for cold-resistant plants. The research presented in the paper byVyse et al (2022) has contributed to this.…”

“… Linked article: This article refers to Vyse et al (2022). To view this article, please visit https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.13740.…”

“…Shrewdness is no surprising characteristic of a fox, but the comparison does invite the question: do plants possess memory? In this edition of Physiologia Plantarum, the article by Vyse et al (2022) describes how Arabidopsis responds differently to cold-stress, when encountering it for the first time (priming) and to a second similar stress after a memory phase (triggering). Arabidopsis seems to perceive the stress after triggering as a milder one and the authors postulate that the memory of the first occurrence of the stress reduces the amount of resources needed to cope with the cold-stress a second time.…”