Biotech Updates

Study on the Effect of Light and Temperature on CBF14 Expression in Wheat and Barley

July 26, 2017

The wheat and barley CBF14 genes have been discovered as key components of the light quality-dependent regulation of freezing tolerance. Scientists from various universities in Hungary, led by Aliz Novák from Hungarian Academy of Sciences, performed a detailed study to further investigate the wavelength dependence of light-induced CBF14 expression in cereals.

Transcript levels of CBF14 gene in winter wheat Cheyenne, winter einkorn G3116 and winter barley Nure genotypes were monitored. Analysis revealed that CBF14 is most effectively induced by blue light. Temperature shifts were also found to induce CBF14 transcription, with no direct relation to the effect of light. They also found that the effect of temperature and light treatments on CBF14 were additive.

These results suggest that temperature and light signals are relayed to CBF14 expression via separate signaling routes.

For more on this study, read the article in Plant Molecular Biology Reporter.