Transcriptome analysis and genome-wide identification of the dehydration-responsive element binding gene family in jackfruit under cold stress.

BACKGROUND: Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is the world's largest and heaviest fruit and adapts to hot, humid tropical climates. Low-temperature injury in winter is a primary abiotic stress, which affects jackfruit growth and development. Therefore, breeding cold-resistant varieties and identifying the vital genes in the process of cold resistance are essential. The dehydration-responsive element binding (DREB) gene family is among the subfamily of the APETALA2/ethylene response factor transcription factor family and is significant in plant abiotic stress responses. METHODS: In this study, a comparative analysis of the cold resistance property of 'GuangXi' ('GX') and 'Thailand' ('THA') jackfruit strains with different cold resistance characteristics was performed through chlorophyll fluorescence and transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS: We found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are significantly enriched in the metabolic processes. Here, 93 DREB genes were identified in the jackfruit genome, and phylogenetic analysis was used to classify them into seven groups. Gene structure, conserved motifs, chromosomal location, and homologous relationships were used to analyze the structural characteristics of the DREB family. Transcriptomics indicated that most of the AhDREB genes exhibited down-regulated expression in 'THA.' The DEGs AhDREB12, AhDREB21, AhDREB29, and AhDREB34 were selected for quantitative real-time PCR, and the results showed that these genes also had down-regulated expression in 'THA.' CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest the significance of the DREB family in improving the cold resistance property of 'GX.'

Genome-wide identification of gap junction gene family and their expression profiles under low temperature stress in noble scallop Chlamys nobilis.

Gap junctions, formed by gap junction proteins (GJ), play crucial roles in cell signaling and immune responses. The structure and function of the GJ from vertebrates (called connexins) have been extensively studied. However, little is known about the proteins forming gap junctions in invertebrates (called innexins). In this study, 14 GJ genes of Chlamys nobilis were identified. GJ proteins are mainly distributed on the plasma membrane, and all proteins are hydrophilic Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the GJ proteins in C. nobilis were distantly related to those in vertebrates but closely related to those in invertebrates. Conserved motifs analysis of these GJ proteins in C. nobilis identified to have 10 conserved motifs, similar to gap junction proteins in other bivalves. Moreover, expression profiles of CnGJ genes under chronic and acute low temperature stress were also investigated. Results showed that chronic low temperature stress had a significant effect on the expression levels of CnGJ genes, and the expression profiles of CnGJ genes showed significantly variation under acute low temperature stress. All these results indicated that CnGJ genes play important roles in environmental adaptation in scallops. The present study initially elucidated the function of gap junction genes in noble scallop C. nobilis, which provides new insights into the GJ genes in mollusks and will help us better understand their roles in environmental stress in scallops.

Exogenous Melatonin Enhances Cold Tolerance by Regulating the Expression of Photosynthetic Performance, Antioxidant System, and Related Genes in Cotton.

In China, cotton is a significant cash crop, and cold stress negatively impacts the crop's development, production, and quality formation. Recent studies have shown that melatonin (MT) can alleviate the damage to plants under cold stress and promote good growth and development. In this study, the morphological and physiological changes induced by exogenous melatonin pretreatment on 'Xinluzao 33' cotton seedlings under cold stress were examined to investigate its defensive effects. The results showed that 100 µM MT pretreatment improved the cold resistance of cotton most significantly. It also improved the wilting state of cotton under cold stress, greatly increased the photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and photosynthetic performance index (PIabs) by 116.92%, 47.16%, 32.30%, and 50.22%, respectively, and mitigated the adverse effects of low-temperature. In addition, MT supplementation substantially reduced the accumulation of superoxide anion (O2•-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by 14.5% and 45.49%, respectively, in cold-stressed cotton leaves by modulating the antioxidant system, thereby mitigating oxidative damage. Furthermore, MT pretreatment increased the endogenous melatonin content (23.80%) and flavonoid content (21.44%) and considerably induced the expression of biosynthesis enzyme-related genes. The above results indicate that exogenous melatonin improves the low-temperature resistance of cotton seedlings by regulating photosynthetic performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, antioxidant content, endogenous melatonin and flavonoid content, and the expression levels of genes related to their synthesis.

Abiotic stressors in poultry production: A comprehensive review.

In modern animal husbandry, stress can be viewed as an automatic response triggered by exposure to adverse environmental conditions. This response can range from mild discomfort to severe consequences, including mortality. The poultry industry, which significantly contributes to human nutrition, is not exempt from this issue. Although genetic selection has been employed for several decades to enhance production output, it has also resulted in poor stress resilience. Stress is manifested through a series of physiological reactions, such as the identification of the stressful stimulus, activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla, and subsequent hormonal cascades. While brief periods of stress can be tolerated, prolonged exposure can have more severe consequences. For instance, extreme fluctuations in environmental temperature can lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, impairment of reproductive performance, and reduced immunity. In addition, excessive noise in poultry slaughterhouses has been linked to altered bird behaviour and decreased production efficiency. Mechanical vibrations have also been shown to negatively impact the meat quality of broilers during transport as well as the egg quality and hatchability in hatcheries. Lastly, egg production is heavily influenced by light intensity and regimens, and inadequate light management can result in deficiencies, including visual anomalies, skeletal deformities, and circulatory problems. Although there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the impact of environmental stressors on poultry physiology, there is a disproportionate representation of stressors in research. Recent studies have been focused on chronic heat stress, reflecting the current interest of the scientific community in climate change. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the major abiotic stressors in poultry production and elucidate their underlying mechanisms, addressing the need for a more comprehensive understanding of stress in diverse environmental contexts.

CIPK11 phosphorylates GSTU23 to promote cold tolerance in Camellia sinensis.

Cold stress negatively impacts the growth, development, and quality of Camellia sinensis (Cs, tea) plants. CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPK) comprise a pivotal protein family involved in plant development and response to multiple environmental stimuli. However, their roles and regulatory mechanisms in tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) remain unknown. Here we show that CsCBL-interacting protein kinase 11 (CsCIPK11), whose transcript abundance was significantly induced at low temperatures, interacts and phosphorylates tau class glutathione S-transferase 23 (CsGSTU23). CsGSTU23 was also a cold-inducible gene and has significantly higher transcript abundance in cold-resistant accessions than in cold-susceptible accessions. CsCIPK11 phosphorylated CsGSTU23 at Ser37, enhancing its stability and enzymatic activity. Overexpression of CsCIPK11 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in enhanced cold tolerance under freezing conditions, while transient knockdown of CsCIPK11 expression in tea plants had the opposite effect, resulting in decreased cold tolerance and suppression of the C-repeat-binding transcription factor (CBF) transcriptional pathway under freezing stress. Furthermore, the transient overexpression of CsGSTU23 in tea plants increased cold tolerance. These findings demonstrate that CsCIPK11 plays a central role in the signaling pathway to cold signals and modulates antioxidant capacity by phosphorylating CsGSTU23, leading to improved cold tolerance in tea plants.

Chronic cold stress promotes inflammation and ER stress via inhibiting GLP-1R signaling, and exacerbates the risk of ferroptosis in the liver and pancreas.

The cold climates in autumn and winter threatens human health. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of prolonged cold exposure on the liver and pancreas based on GLP-1R signaling, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis by Yorkshire pig models. Yorkshire pigs were divided into the control group and chronic cold stress (CCS) group. The results showed that CCS induced oxidative stress injury, activated Nrf2 pathway and inhibited the expression of GLP-1R in the liver and pancreas (P < 0.05). The toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway was activated in the liver and pancreas, accompanied by the enrichment of IL-1ß and TNF-α during CCS (P < 0.05). Moreover, the kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol requiring kinase 1 (IRE1), X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1) and eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) expression in the liver and pancreas was up-regulated during CCS (P < 0.05). In addition, CCS promoted the prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) expression and inhibited the ferritin H (FtH) expression in the liver. Summarily, CCS promotes inflammation, ER stress and apoptosis by inhibiting the GLP-1R signaling and inducing oxidative stress, and exacerbates the risk of ferroptosis in the liver and pancreas.

Identifying dryland-resilient chickpea genotypes for autumn sowing, with a focus on multi-trait stability parameters and biochemical enzyme activity.

BACKGROUND: Chickpea is a key pulse crop grown in the spring in dryland regions. The cold resistance potential of chickpeas allows for the development of genotypes with varying sowing dates to take advantage of autumn and winter rainfall, particularly in dryland regions. In this study, we assessed grain yield, plant height, 100-seed weight, days to maturity, and days to flowering of 17 chickpea genotypes in five autumn-sown dryland regions from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, the response of selected chickpea genotypes to cold stress was examined at temperatures of -4 °C, 4 °C, and 22 °C by analyzing biochemical enzymes. RESULTS: Mixed linear model of ANOVA revealed a significant genotype × environment interaction for all traits measured, indicating varying reactions of genotypes across test environments. This study reported low estimates of broad-sense heritability for days to flowering (0.34), days to maturity (0.13), and grain yield (0.08). Plant height and seed weight exhibited the highest heritability, with genotypic selection accuracies of 0.73 and 0.92, respectively. Moreover, partial least square regression highlighted the impactful role of rainfall during all months except of October, November, and February on grain yield and its interaction with environments in autumn-planted chickpeas. Among the genotypes studied, G9, G10, and G17 emerged as superior based on stability parameters and grain yield. In particular, genotype G9 stood out as a promising genotype for dryland regions, considering both MTSI and genotype by yield*trait aproaches. The cold assay indicated that - 4 °C is crucial for distinguishing between susceptible and resistant genotypes. The results showed the important role of the enzymes CAT and GPX in contributing to the cold tolerance of genotype G9 in autumn-sown chickpeas. CONCLUSIONS: Significant G×E for agro-morphological traits of chickpea shows prerequisite for multi-trial analysis. Chickpea`s direct root system cause that monthly rainfall during plant establishment has no critical role in its yield interaction with dryland environment. Considering the importance of agro-morphological traits and their direct and indirect effects on grain yield, the utilization of multiple-trait stability approches is propose. Evaluation of chickpea germplasm reaction against cold stress is necessary for autumn-sowing. Finally, autumn sowing of genotype FLIP 10-128 C in dryland conditions can led to significant crop performance.

Functional characterization of two survival factor 1 genes in Mucor lusitanicus.

Survival factor 1 (Svf1) protein has been described in some ascomycetous fungi where it was found to be contributing to several essential physiological processes, such as response to osmotic, oxidative and cold stresses, sphingolipid biosynthesis, morphogenesis, sporulation, antifungal resistance, and pathogenicity. It was also suggested that it can be a novel central regulator affecting the expression of various genes. In the present study, function of this protein and the encoding genes is described for the first time in a fungus (i.e., in Mucor lusitanicus) belonging to the order Mucorales. M. lusitanicus has two putative svf1 genes named svf1a and svf1b. Expression of both genes was proven. Although the expression of svf1a was affected by several environmental stresses and knocking out the gene affected adaptation to low temperatures and the sporulation ability, the main survival factor functions, such as participation in the maintenance of the viability, the response to oxidative and cold stresses, and the sphingolipid biosynthesis, could be associated with Svf1b, suggesting a central regulatory role to this protein. Interestingly, knockout of both genes affected the pathogenicity of the fungus in a Drosophila model. IMPORTANCE: Mucor lusitanicus is a widely used model organism to study various biological processes in the basal fungal group Mucorales. Several members of this group can be agents of mucormycosis, an opportunistic fungal infection, which is associated with high mortality, rapid progression, and wide resistance to the commonly used antifungal agents. Svf1 proteins have so far only been identified in fungi, where they have been involved in pathogenicity and resistance to antifungal agents in many cases. Only a limited number of factors affecting the stress response, antifungal resistance, and virulence of Mucorales fungi have been revealed. Elucidating the function of a fungus-specific protein that may regulate these processes may bring us closer to understanding the pathogenesis of these fungi.

Hand cold stress testing among Arctic open-pit miners: a clinical study.

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of individual characteristics (sex, age, body mass index [BMI] and smoking habits) on the tolerance time, pain ratings and rewarming time of hand cold stress testing (CST). Methods. We included 153 subjects (63% men) working in a Swedish open-pit mine (participation rate 41%). The right hand was immersed in 3 °C circulating water for up to 45 s. Pain ratings were registered every fifth second using a visual analog scale. Results. The tolerance time (mean ± standard deviation) was 35 ± 12 s for men and 29 ± 14 s for women (p = 0.007). The youngest age group (18-29 years) had the longest tolerance time, while the oldest group (54-65 years) had the shortest (p = 0.005). Women had significantly higher pain ratings than men after 5, 10 and 25 s. The group with the highest BMI had the shortest rewarming time (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Age and sex influenced the tolerance time of hand CST, while only sex affected the pain ratings and BMI the rewarming time. When performing CST in future studies, these parameters should be considered.

Strigolactones positively regulate HY5-dependent autophagy and the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins in response to cold stress in tomato.

Autophagy, involved in protein degradation and amino acid recycling, plays a key role in plant development and stress responses. However, the relationship between autophagy and phytohormones remains unclear. We used diverse methods, including CRISPR/Cas9, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and dual-luciferase assays to explore the molecular mechanism of strigolactones in regulating autophagy and the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins under cold stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We show that cold stress induced the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Mutants deficient in strigolactone biosynthesis were more sensitive to cold stress with increased accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Conversely, treatment with the synthetic strigolactone analog GR245DS enhanced cold tolerance in tomato, with elevated levels of accumulation of autophagosomes and transcripts of autophagy-related genes (ATGs), and reduced accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Meanwhile, cold stress induced the accumulation of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), which was triggered by strigolactones. HY5 further trans-activated ATG18a transcription, resulting in autophagy formation. Mutation of ATG18a compromised strigolactone-induced cold tolerance, leading to decreased formation of autophagosomes and increased accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. These findings reveal that strigolactones positively regulate autophagy in an HY5-dependent manner and facilitate the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins under cold conditions in tomato.

Swimming in cold water increases the browning process by diminishing the Myostatin pathway.

BACKGROUND: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a thermogenic tissue that uncouples oxidative phosphorylation from ATP synthesis and increases energy expenditure via non-shivering thermogenesis in mammals. Cold exposure and exercise have been shown to increase BAT and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) in mice. This study aimed to determine whether there is an additive effect of exercise during cold exposure on markers related to browning of adipose tissue. in Wistar rats. METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control (C, 25˚C), Swimming in Neutral (SN, 30˚C) water, and Swimming in Cold (SC, 15˚C) water. Swimming included intervals of 2-3 min, 1 min rest, until exhausted, three days a week for six weeks, with a training load of 3-6% body weight. After the experimental protocol, interscapular BAT and inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) were excised, weighed, and processed for beiging marker gene expression. RESULTS: SN and SC resulted in lower body weight gain, associated with reduced WAT and BAT volume and increased BAT number with greater effects observed in SC. Myostatin protein expression was lower in BAT, WAT, soleus muscle, and serum NC and SC compared to the C group. Expression of the interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF4) gene in both BAT and WAT tissues was significantly greater in the SC than in the C. Expression of the PGC-1α in BAT was significantly increased in the SC compared to C and increased in WAT in NC and SC. Expression of the UCP1 in BAT and WAT increased in the SC group compared to other groups. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that six weeks of swimming training in cold water promotes additive effects of the expression of genes and proteins involved in the browning process of adipose tissue in Wistar rats. Myostatin inhibition may possess a regulator effect on the PGC-1α - UCP1 pathway that mediates adipose tissue browning.

Energy Expenditure during Physical Work in Cold Environments: Physiology and Performance Considerations for Military Service Members.

Effective execution of military missions in cold environments requires highly trained, well-equipped, and operationally ready service members. Understanding the metabolic energetic demands of performing physical work in extreme cold conditions is critical for individual medical readiness of service members. In this narrative review, we describe 1) the extreme energy costs of performing militarily relevant physical work in cold environments, 2) key factors specific to cold environments that explain these additional energy costs, 3) additional environmental factors that modulate the metabolic burden, 4) medical readiness consequences associated with these circumstances, and 5) potential countermeasures to be developed to aid future military personnel. Key characteristics of the cold operational environment that cause excessive energy expenditure in military personnel include thermoregulatory mechanisms, winter apparel, inspiration of cold air, inclement weather, and activities specific to cold weather. The combination of cold temperatures with other environmental stressors, including altitude, wind, and wet environments exacerbates the overall metabolic strain on military service members. The high energy cost of working in these environments increases the risk of undesirable consequences, including negative energy balance, dehydration, and subsequent decrements in physical and cognitive performance. Such consequences may be mitigated by the application of enhanced clothing and equipment design, wearable technologies for biomechanical assistance and localized heating, thermogenic pharmaceuticals, and cold habituation and training guidance. Altogether, the reduction in energy expenditure of modern military personnel during physical work in cold environments would promote desirable operational outcomes and optimize the health and performance of service members.

Physiological and transcriptomic profiles reveal key regulatory pathways involved in cold resistance in sunflower seedlings.

During sunflower growth, cold waves often occur and impede plant growth. Therefore, it is crucial to study the underlying mechanism of cold resistance in sunflowers. In this study, physiological analysis revealed that as cold stress increased, the levels of ROS, malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, and dehydroascorbic acid and the activities of antioxidant enzymes increased. Transcriptomics further identified 10,903 DEGs between any two treatments. Clustering analysis demonstrated that the expression of MYB44a, MYB44b, MYB12, bZIP2 and bZIP4 continuously upregulated under cold stress. Cold stress can induce ROS accumulation, which interacts with hormone signals to activate cold-responsive transcription factors regulating target genes involved in antioxidant defense, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism enhancement for improved cold resistance in sunflowers. Additionally, the response of sunflowers to cold stress may be independent of the CBF pathway. These findings enhance our understanding of cold stress resistance in sunflowers and provide a foundation for genetic breeding.

Cold mediates maize root hair developmental plasticity via epidermis-specific transcriptomic responses.

Cold stress during early development limits maize (Zea mays L.) production in temperate zones. Low temperatures restrict root growth and reprogram gene expression. Here, we provide a systematic transcriptomic landscape of maize primary roots, their tissues, and cell types in response to cold stress. The epidermis exhibited a unique transcriptomic cold response, and genes involved in root hair formation were dynamically regulated in this cell type by cold. Consequently, activation of genes involved in root hair tip growth contributed to root hair recovery under moderate cold conditions. The maize root hair defective mutants roothair defective 5 (rth5) and roothair defective 6 (rth6) displayed enhanced cold tolerance with respect to primary root elongation. Furthermore, dehydration response element-binding protein 2.1 (dreb2.1) was the only member of the dreb subfamily of AP2/EREB transcription factor genes upregulated in primary root tissues and cell types but exclusively downregulated in root hairs upon cold stress. Plants overexpressing dreb2.1 significantly suppressed root hair elongation after moderate cold stress. Finally, the expression of rth3 was regulated by dreb2.1 under cold conditions, while rth6 transcription was regulated by dreb2.1 irrespective of the temperature regime. We demonstrated that dreb2.1 negatively regulates root hair plasticity at low temperatures by coordinating the expression of root hair defective genes in maize.

The Role of Brassinosteroids in Plant Cold Stress Response.

Temperature affects plant growth and geographical distribution. Cold stress occurs when temperatures fall below the physiologically optimal range for plants, causing permanent and irreversible damage to plant growth, development, and production. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroid hormones that play an important role in plant growth and various stress responses. Recent studies have shown that low temperatures affect BR biosynthesis in many plant species and that BR signaling is involved in the regulation of plant tolerance to low temperatures, both in the CBF-dependent and CBF-independent pathways. These two regulatory pathways correspond to transient and acclimation responses of low temperature, respectively. The crosstalk between BRs and other hormones is a significant factor in low-temperature tolerance. We provide an overview of recent developments in our knowledge of BRs' function in plant responses to cold stress and how they interact with other plant hormones in this review.

RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG 5.1 regulates H3K4me3 deposition and transcription after cold priming in cucumber.

Plants can maintain acquired cold tolerance for a long period after cold priming, even after the resumption of warmer temperatures. However, the transcriptional mechanisms active during the recovery period after cold priming remain unknown. Here, we found that in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), cold priming altered the Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) signal of sustainably-induced (memory) and non-sustainably-induced (NSI) genes during recovery. In addition, H3K4me3 marks on upregulated memory genes exhibited a specific epigenetic memory during recovery. However, the rank of the H3K4me3 signal on memory and NSI genes in the genome was independent of cold priming, which always contributed to and inhibited the formation of transcription patterns of memory and NIS genes, respectively. Furthermore, the short-lived increase of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG 5.1 (CsRBOH5.1) expression during recovery after cold priming was essential to maintain high levels of NADPH oxidase activity and apoplastic H2O2, causing cucumber to acquire cold priming and enhancing the maintenance of acquired cold tolerance (MACT). Interestingly, the expression of some key H3K4me3 methyltransferase genes and the accumulation of H3K4me3 on memory genes depended on CsRBOH5.1. Surprisingly, CsRBOH5.1 was essential for almost all genes to form the normal H3K4me3 signaling patterns during recovery, and the necessity was more obvious as recovery progressed. Moreover, transcriptional memory was completely lost in Csrboh5.1 mutants, and the transcriptional patterns of about 80% of NSI genes were disrupted. Overall, our results show that CsRBOH5.1 governs H3K4me3 deposition and cold-induced transcription during recovery after cold priming, affecting the acquisition of cold priming and the intensity of MACT.

Activation of P2X7 Receptor Mediates the Abnormal Ovulation Induced by Chronic Restraint Stress and Chronic Cold Stress.

Chronic stress has become a major problem that endangers people's physical and mental health. Studies have shown that chronic stress impairs female reproduction. However, the related mechanism is not fully understood. P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is involved in a variety of pathological changes induced by chronic stress. Whether P2X7R is involved in the effect of chronic stress on female reproduction has not been studied. In this study, we established a chronic restraint stress mouse model and chronic cold stress mouse model. We found that the number of corpora lutea was significantly reduced in the two chronic stress models. The number of corpora lutea indirectly reflects the ovulation, suggesting that chronic stress influences ovulation. P2X7R expression was significantly increased in ovaries of the two chronic stress models. A superovulation experiment showed that P2X7R inhibitor A-438079 HCL partially rescued the ovulation rate of the two chronic stress models. Further studies showed that activation of P2X7R signaling inhibited the cumulus expansion and promoted the expression of NPPC in granulosa cells, one key negative factor of cumulus expansion. Moreover, sirius red staining showed that the ovarian fibrosis was increased in the two chronic stress models. For the fibrosis-related factors, TGF-ß1 was increased and MMP2 was decreased. In vitro studies also showed that activation of P2X7R signaling upregulated the expression of TGF-ß1 and downregulated the expression of MMP2 in granulosa cells. In conclusion, P2X7R expression was increased in the ovaries of the chronic restraint-stress and chronic cold-stress mouse models. Activation of P2X7R signaling promoted NPPC expression and cumulus expansion disorder, which contributed to the abnormal ovulation of the chronic stress model. Activation of P2X7R signaling is also associated with the ovarian fibrosis changes in the chronic stress model.

Transcriptome analysis of Sesuvium portulacastrum L. uncovers key genes and pathways involved in root formation in response to low-temperature stress.

Sesuvium portulacastrum L., a perennial facultative halophyte, is extensively distributed across tropical and subtropical coastal regions. Its limited cold tolerance significantly impacts both the productivity and the geographical distribution of this species in higher-latitude areas. In this study, we employed RNA-Seq technology to delineate the transcriptomic alterations in Sesuvium plants exposed to low temperatures, thus advancing our comprehension of the molecular underpinnings of this physiological adaptation and root formation. Our findings demonstrated differential expression of 10,805, 16,389, and 10,503 genes in the low versus moderate temperature (LT vs. MT), moderate versus high temperature (MT vs. HT), and low versus high temperature (LT vs. HT) comparative analyses, respectively. Notably, the gene categories "structural molecule activity", "ribosome biogenesis", and "ribosome" were particularly enriched among the LT vs. HT-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs). When synthesizing the insights from these three comparative studies, the principal pathways associated with the cold response mechanism were identified as "carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms", "starch and sucrose metabolism", "plant hormone signal transduction", "glycolysis/gluconeogenesis", and "photosynthesis". In addition, we elucidated the involvement of auxin signaling pathways, adventitious root formation (ARF), lateral root formation (LRF), and novel genes associated with shoot system development in root formation. Subsequently, we constructed a network diagram to investigate the interplay between hormone levels and pivotal genes, thereby clarifying the regulatory pathways of plant root formation under low-temperature stress and isolating key genes instrumental in root development. This study has provided critical insights into the molecular mechanisms that facilitate the adaptation to cold stress and root formation in S. portulacastrum.

The OsSRO1c-OsDREB2B complex undergoes protein phase transition to enhance cold tolerance in rice.

Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stress factors affecting rice growth and development, leading to significant yield loss in the context of global climate change. Exploring natural variants that confer cold resistance and the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for this is the major strategy to breed cold tolerant rice varieties. Here, we show that the natural variations of a SIMILAR to RCD ONE (SRO) gene, OsSRO1c, confer cold tolerance in rice at both seedling and booting stages. OsSRO1c possesses intrinsic liquid-liquid phase separation ability in vivo and in vitro and recruits an AP2/ERF transcription factor and positive cold stress regulator, OsDREB2B, into its biomolecular condensates in the nucleus, resulting in elevated transcriptional activity of OsDREB2B. The OsSRO1c-OsDREB2B complex directly responds to low temperature through dynamic phase transitions and regulates key cold response genes, including COLD1. Furthermore, introgression of an elite haplotype of OsSRO1c into a cold susceptible indica rice significantly increases its cold resistance. Collectively, our work reveals a novel cold tolerance regulatory module in rice and provides promising genetic targets for molecular breeding of cold-tolerant rice varieties.

Age Specifics of Homeostasis Response to Cold Stress in Wistar Rats: Endurance Improvement or Disorganization?

Cold exposure, especially in combination with exercise, is a common procedure to fortify the body. However, its effects in old age are poorly understood. Using the homeostasis stability coefficient as an indicator, the body response to a 20-min swim in cold water was for the first time studied comprehensively in old and young Wistar rats. Effects on the hormonal, hematological, and morphofunctional systems of the liver and thymus were assessed. Unfavorable age-related changes in the stability of homeostasis were observed in old rats. The changes complicated the recovery after cold stress and required the involvement of a greater number of homeostatic mechanisms than in young rats. The liver was found to be the most vulnerable to cold stress. It was concluded that fortifying the body by cold exposure is possible to use in old age, but with due regard to age-related restrictions.