How plants adapt to the cold – new research reveals key mechanisms

Doctoral student Varvara Dikaya has studied how plants adjust to cold by focussing on the protein PORCUPINE.

ImageNabila El Arbi

Plants cannot seek shelter from the cold – they must adapt at the cellular level. Much of the research on plant cold responses has focused on molecules such as amino acids and sugars that prevent freezing and on the core mechanisms of the temperature response. However, there are many new players that are still disconnected from the big picture.

Varvara Dikaya’s research sheds light on an essential part of this puzzle: RNA splicing, a process that determines which proteins are produced in a plant’s cells.

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

The protein she studied, PORCUPINE, was discovered because plants with a mutation in this gene became particularly cold-sensitive. The name comes from the spiky shape of the shoot tip in these mutants.

“The PORCUPINE mutant appears normal under ambient temperature conditions but cannot develop properly in 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.”

Varvara Dikaya’s research reveals that PORCUPINE is involved in multiple cellular processes. On one hand, colder temperatures increase the amount of PORCUPINE RNA in cells, suggesting that more of the protein is produced. On the other hand, this protein is part of the spliceosome, a molecular complex that modifies RNA before it is translated into proteins.

Varvara Dikaya and her colleagues also identified several genes regulated by PORCUPINE that play key roles in how plants respond to temperature changes.

“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. 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.”