Natural variation for freezing tolerance is a major component of adaptation and geographic distribution of plant species. However, little is known about the genes and molecular mechanisms that determine its naturally occurring diversity. We have analyzed the intraspecific freezing tolerance variation existent between two geographically distant accessions of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), C...

Organisms that live in variable environments must adjust their physiology to compensate for environmental change. Modern functional genomics technologies offer global top-down discovery-based tools for identifying and exploring the mechanistic basis by which organisms respond physiologically to a detected change in the environment. Given that populations and species from different niches may ex...

The consequences of light adaptation and acclimation of photosynthesis on photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), particularly as it relates to the efficiency of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) use in photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, was studied in the sun species Glycine max and the shade species Alocasia macrorrhiza. Both G. max and A. macrorrhiza were found to possess t...

Tomato plants, Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Tmknvf(2), and watermelon plants, Citrullus lanatus [Thomb.] Mansf. cv. Dulce maravilla, were grown for 30 days at different temperatures (15, 25 and 35 degrees C). We analysed soluble phenolics, enzymatic activities (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase), and dry weight. The impact of the three temperatures was different i...

During low temperature exposure, Arabidopsis thaliana and many other plants from temperate climates increase in freezing tolerance in a process termed cold acclimation. However, the correct timing and rate of deacclimation, resulting in loss of freezing tolerance and initiation of growth is equally important for plant fitness and survival. While the molecular basis of cold acclimation has been ...

In plants, low temperature and dehydration activate a set of genes containing C-repeat/dehydration-responsive elements in their promoter. It has been shown previously that the Arabidopsis CBF/DREB1 transcription activators are critical regulators of gene expression in the signal transduction of cold acclimation. Here, we report the isolation of an apparent homolog of the CBF/DREB1 proteins (CBF...

Evidence suggests that the small chloroplast heat-shock protein (Hsp) is involved in plant thermotolerance but its site of action is unknown. Functional disruption of this Hsp using anti-Hsp antibodies or addition of purified Hsp to chloroplasts indicated that (a) this Hsp protects thermolabile photosystem II and, consequently, whole-chain electron transport during heat stress; and (b) this Hsp...

In this short review, I will first summarize criteria by which environments can be considered "cold", with plant stature (size, height above ground) playing a central role for the climate actually experienced. Plants adapted to such environments have to cope with both extremes and with gradual influences of low temperature. The first requires freezing resistance, which is tightly coupled to dev...

Plants are able to survive prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures; this ability is enhanced by pre-exposure to low, but above-zero temperatures. This process, known as cold acclimation, is briefly reviewed from the perception of cold, through transduction of the low-temperature signal to functional analysis of cold-induced gene products. The stresses that freezing of apoplastic water impos...

Plants develop a plethora of defense strategies during their acclimation and interactions with various environmental stresses. Secondary metabolites play pivotal role in the processes stress acclimation, therefore deciphering relevant responses exchange interpretation underlying molecular mechanisms that may contribute to improved adaptability efficacy. In current study, tomato plants were expo...