MYB Transcription Factor CDC5 Activates CBF3 Expression to Positively Regulate Freezing Tolerance via Cooperating With ICE1 and Histone Modification in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant, cell and environment cell and environment, 2025-01, Vol.48 (1), p.97-108
• Main Authors: Xin, Xin, Wang, Shu, Pan, Yunjiao, Ye, Linhan, Zhai, Tingting, Gu, Mengjie, Wang, Yanjiao, Zhang, Jiedao, Li, Xiang, Yang, Wei, Zhang, Shuxin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acclimation; Acclimatization; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; CBF protein; CBF3; CDC5; Chromatin; Cold acclimation; Cold tolerance; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Freezing; freezing tolerance; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Histones; Histones - metabolism; ICE1; Phenotypes; RNA polymerase; RNA polymerase II; RNA Polymerase II - metabolism; Signal transduction; Temperature tolerance; Trans-Activators - genetics; Trans-Activators - metabolism; Transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0140-7791; 1365-3040; 1365-3040
• DOI: 10.1111/pce.15144

ABSTRACT The freezing temperature greatly limits the growth, development and productivity of plants. The C‐repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF) plays a major role in cold acclimation, enabling plants to increase their freezing tolerance. Notably, the INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) protein has garnered attention for its pivotal role in bolstering plants' resilience against freezing through transcriptional upregulation of DREB1A/CBF3. However, the research on the interaction between ICE1 and other transcription factors and its function in regulating cold stress tolerance is largely inadequate. In this study, we found that a R2R3 MYB transcription factor CDC5 interacts with ICE1 and regulates the expression of CBF3 by recruiting RNA polymerase II, overexpression of ICE1 can complements the freezing deficient phenotype of cdc5 mutant. CDC5 increases the expression of CBF3 in response to freezing. Furthermore, CDC5 influences the expression of CBF3 by altering the chromatin status through H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications. Our work identified a novel component that regulates CBF3 transcription in both ICE1‐dependent and ICE1‐independent manner, improving the understanding of the freezing signal transduction in plants. Summary statement Freezing temperature is a crucial environmental factor that poses a threat to plant survival, growth and development. Our research has uncovered a novel key component in the freezing‐temperature regulatory pathway, CDC5, which is an R2R3‐type MYB transcription factor. CDC5 can interact with INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) and regulate the expression of CBF3 by binding to the CBF3 promoter and recruiting RNA polymerase II. Furthermore, CDC5 also mediates chromatin modification of CBF3, thereby playing a role in regulating its expression.