Study Shows SPL9 Mediates Freezing Tolerance in Plants

Freezing tolerance increases as the plant ages, according to the findings of scientists from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University in China. Their study is published in BMC Plant Biology journal.

Freezing stress impedes the development of plants and causes significant damage to plants. Thus, plants have evolved several mechanisms during their growth and development to resist freezing stress. The researchers from China conducted the study to further understand how plants react to freezing signals.

They found that freezing tolerance was increased with plant age at the vegetative state. The expressions of miR156 and SPL9, which are vital in the regulation of ontogenetic development, were found to be induced by cold stress. When SPL9 was over-expressed, CBF2 expression is also increased, leading to enhanced tolerance to cold temperatures. Further analysis confirmed that SPL9 directly binds to the promoter of CBF2 to activate the expression of CBF2, and thereafter increased the freezing tolerance.

For more details, read the research article in BMC Plant Biology.