How plants rewire themselves to battle the cold

The world is changing, and so is the climate. Sudden temperature drops, unexpected frosts, and shifting weather patterns challenge ecosystems in many ways.

For plants, these changes are especially harsh. Unlike animals, they cannot migrate, seek shelter, or generate body heat in cold weather. Instead, they rely on internal adaptations to survive.

Varvara Dikaya at Umeå University explored this challenge in her doctoral research. She studied a protein which plays a key role in plant adaptation to low temperatures.

The findings reveal that this protein participates in multiple signaling pathways, enabling plants to survive harsh conditions.

Cold response strategies of plants

Unlike animals, plants cannot seek warmth or migrate. Their survival depends on internal mechanisms that adjust to temperature shifts.

Past research focused on molecules like amino acids and sugars, which help prevent freezing. Scientists also studied core temperature-response mechanisms, but many crucial components remained unknown.

Dikaya’s research uncovers a missing piece of this puzzle – RNA splicing. This process determines which proteins are produced in plant cells, directly impacting cold response strategies.

The role of splicing

“Splicing acts as a central hub controlling the information flow from DNA to RNA, defining which proteins are synthesized from a certain gene,” explained Dikaya, who is a doctoral student in the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University and Umeå Plant Science Center.

Her research focused on PORCUPINE, a protein discovered when scientists observed that plants with a mutation in this gene became unusually cold-sensitive. The mutation’s spiky shoot tips inspired the name.

Impact of temperature drops

“The PORCUPINE mutant appears normal under ambient temperature conditions but cannot develop properly in the case of even a mild temperature drop. Already at 16 degrees, the mutant grows shorter roots with increased root hair density and much smaller rosettes than normal. This is very special,” the team noted.

Dikaya’s work reveals that cold temperatures trigger an increase in PORCUPINE RNA in cells. This suggests that the plant produces more of this protein to cope with the stress.

However, PORCUPINE is not just a passive responder. It actively participates in the spliceosome, a complex that processes RNA before it transforms into proteins.

Key player in RNA processing

PORCUPINE is not just a responder to cold; it is an active participant in RNA processing.

This protein is part of the spliceosome, a complex molecular machine that modifies RNA before it is translated into proteins. Without proper RNA splicing, plants cannot produce the proteins they need to survive.

By studying PORCUPINE’s role in the spliceosome, Dikaya and her team discovered that it influences multiple genetic pathways.

Some of these pathways control how plants sense and react to cold temperature shifts. Others regulate growth patterns that determine whether a plant can withstand stress.

A network of cold responses

Dikaya and her colleagues identified several genes controlled by PORCUPINE, all of which influence how plants respond to temperature changes. Her research highlights how intricate these responses are, involving multiple overlapping pathways.

“Our findings show the complexity of the cold response in plants. It is important to understand all aspects and identify fundamental mechanisms that could be applied later on in a practical manner,” Dikaya noted.

“Such knowledge will be essential to create more resilient plants capable of withstanding environmental challenges in the future, even though it is still a long way to go.”

Her work provides a deeper understanding of how plants adjust to fluctuating temperatures. This knowledge could pave the way for crops that can better withstand future climate uncertainties.

Future of cold-resistant plants

The challenges of climate change are not going away, and neither is the need for resilient crops.

If researchers can harness the knowledge gained from studies like Dikaya’s, they may be able to develop plant varieties that thrive despite temperature fluctuations.

Although there is still much to learn, this research brings us one step closer to understanding the intricate mechanisms that allow plants to survive. In the years ahead, discoveries like this could reshape agriculture and help ensure food security in a changing world.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–