Scientists Identify Fungal Gene To Build Cold-Stress Tolerance in Crops

Scientists from Guru Nanak Dev University, in collaboration with the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, have discovered that a gene from the salt-tolerant fungus Penicillium oxalicum can significantly enhance cold-stress tolerance in plants. By introducing the gene PoxCYP62-2 into the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, modified plants maintained superior growth and biomass under low-temperature conditions compared to non-transgenic controls. The findings highlight PoxCYP62-2 as a promising target for breeding cold-stress tolerance in crops.

The gene PoxCYP62-2 belongs to a class of genes that produce cyclophilins, a class of proteins vital for proper protein folding and functional stability under environmental stress. To test the gene's efficacy, PoxCYP62-2 was isolated and introduced into A. thaliana using Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation.  Subcellular imaging revealed that the fungal PoxCYP62-2 protein localized directly within the nucleus of the host plant's cells to exert its protective effect.

Under cold stress, the transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibited reduced cellular damage and the accumulation of several metabolites associated with stress tolerance, suggesting that the gene may help strengthen the plant's natural defenses against low temperatures. While the study was conducted using a model plant, these findings identify PoxCYP62-2 as a promising genetic target for further research on developing cold-tolerant crop varieties that could better withstand low-temperature conditions.

You may read the full article in Transgenic Research via Springer.