Lee Je-Chang, Zebro Mewuleddeg, Jeong Haet-Nim, Heo Jae-Yun
Department of Plant Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Juk-Heon Gil 7, Gangneung, 25457, Gangwon State, Korea.
Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Gangwon State Agricultural Research and Extension Service, Chuncheon, 24203, Gangwon State, Korea.
Open Life Sci. 2025 May 20;20(1):20251107. doi: 10.1515/biol-2025-1107. eCollection 2025.
This study evaluated frost tolerance in flowers of seven major apple cultivars grown in Korea to develop frost-resistant varieties for sustainable apple production under climate change. Flowers at full bloom were exposed to simulated frost conditions at -2°C, and frost damage was assessed using the total flower frost damage rate and King flower frost damage rate. Over 3 years, "Arisoo" consistently exhibited strong frost tolerance, whereas 'Fuji' was frost-sensitive. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant differences in gene expression both within cultivars under different treatments and between cultivars under identical conditions. A higher number of differentially expressed genes were upregulated under frost stress in both cultivars, indicating key regulatory mechanisms involved in frost adaptation. Functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway analysis identified plant hormone signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and starch and sucrose metabolism can contribute to frost tolerance. Our findings offer critical insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of frost tolerance, contributing to the development of resilient apple varieties and sustainable production systems under climate change.
本研究评估了韩国种植的七个主要苹果品种花朵的抗冻性，以便在气候变化条件下培育抗冻品种，实现苹果的可持续生产。盛开的花朵在-2°C的模拟霜冻条件下进行处理，使用总花冻害率和金冠花冻害率评估冻害情况。在三年的时间里，“阿里苏”始终表现出较强的抗冻性，而“富士”对霜冻敏感。转录组分析表明，不同处理下的品种内部以及相同条件下的品种之间，基因表达均存在显著差异。两个品种在霜冻胁迫下均有较多上调的差异表达基因，这表明存在参与霜冻适应的关键调控机制。功能注释和京都基因与基因组百科全书通路分析表明，植物激素信号传导、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号传导以及淀粉和蔗糖代谢可能有助于提高抗冻性。我们的研究结果为抗冻性的遗传和分子机制提供了重要见解，有助于培育适应气候变化的苹果品种和可持续生产系统。
