Zeng Rong, Shi Yiting, Guo Li, Fu Diyi, Li Minze, Zhang Xiaoyan, Li Zhuoyang, Zhuang Junhong, Yang Xiaohong, Zuo Jianru, Gong Zhizhong, Tian Feng, Yang Shuhua
State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize (MOA), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Cell. 2025 Mar 6;188(5):1315-1329.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.12.018. Epub 2025 Jan 21.
Low temperature severely limits the growth, yield, and geographical distribution of maize (Zea mays L.). How maize adapts to cold climates remains largely unclear. Here, we identify a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, COLD-RESPONSIVE OPERATION LOCUS 1 (COOL1), as a crucial regulator of maize cold tolerance through genome-wide association studies. Natural variations in the COOL1 promoter affect the binding affinity of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), a transcriptional factor repressing COOL1 transcription. COOL1, in turn, negatively regulates downstream cold-responsive genes, thereby modulating cold tolerance. Moreover, calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK17 translocates to the nucleus and stabilizes COOL1 in response to cold stress. Intriguingly, the cold-tolerant allele of COOL1 is predominantly distributed in northern high latitudes with cold climates. This study defines a previously unknown pathway by which the COOL1-centered module regulates cold tolerance for high latitudinal adaptation in maize.
低温严重限制了玉米（Zea mays L.）的生长、产量及地理分布。玉米如何适应寒冷气候在很大程度上仍不清楚。在此，我们通过全基因组关联研究确定了一种基本螺旋-环-螺旋（bHLH）转录因子——冷响应操作位点1（COOL1），它是玉米耐冷性的关键调节因子。COOL1启动子的自然变异影响了抑制COOL1转录的转录因子——伸长下胚轴5（HY5）的结合亲和力。反过来，COOL1负向调节下游冷响应基因，从而调节耐冷性。此外，钙依赖性蛋白激酶CPK17响应冷胁迫转位至细胞核并稳定COOL1。有趣的是，COOL1的耐冷等位基因主要分布在气候寒冷的高纬度北部地区。本研究定义了一条此前未知的途径，通过该途径以COOL1为中心的模块调节玉米高纬度适应的耐冷性。
