An Overview of Signaling Regulons During Cold Stress Tolerance in Plants

Abstract

Plants, being sessile organisms, constantly withstand environmental fluctuations, including low-temperature, also referred as cold stress. Whereas cold poses serious challenges at both physiological and developmental levels to plants growing in tropical or sub-tropical regions, plants from temperate climatic regions can withstand chilling or freezing temperatures. Several cold inducible genes have already been isolated and used in transgenic approach to generate cold tolerant plants. The conventional breeding methods and marker assisted selection have helped in developing plant with improved cold tolerance, however, the development of freezing tolerant plants through cold acclimation remains an unaccomplished task. Therefore, it is essential to have a clear understanding of how low temperature sensing strategies and corresponding signal transduction act during cold acclimation process. Herein, we synthesize the available information on the molecular mechanisms underlying cold sensing and signaling with an aim that the summarized literature will help develop efficient strategies to obtain cold tolerant plants.

Keywords: CBF; Calcium; Cold; Phosphorylation; Protein kinase; Signaling.

Fig. (1)

Schematic representation of signaling network in response to low temperature stress. It shows the early events of cold perception, leading expression of COR genes regulated by CBF transcription factors. Characterized Ca⁺² sensor proteins and their target proteins are also shown. Refer to text for detailed descriptions. CBF/DREB, C-repeat binding factors/DRE-binding proteins; CBL/CIPK, calcineurin B-like protein/CBL-interacting protein kinase; CAMTA, Calmodulin-binding transcription activator; COR, cold-regulated; HOS, high expression of osmotically responsive gene; ICE1, inducer of CBF expression 1; RCI1A, Rare cold inducible 1A and ADH1, Alcohol dehydrogenase 1; ABF1, ABRE binding factor 1; EIN3, Ethylene Insensitive; HOS1, high expression of osmotically responsive genes; SIZ1, E3 SUMO ligase.