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High-Throughput Assays of Critical Thermal Limits in Insects

High-Throughput Assays of Critical Thermal Limits in Insects

Published on: June 15, 2020

Cold tolerance acquired through inheritable cold-induced epigenetic variation.

Shuhua Yang¹, Yijun Qi^2,3,4

¹State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology

|June 12, 2025

Summary

Environmentally induced epialleles at ACQUIRED COLD TOLERANCE 1 enable rice to heritably gain cold tolerance. This adaptive trait acquisition is mediated by epigenetic modifications, enhancing plant survival in cold conditions.

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Epigenetics
Genetics

Background:

Plants possess mechanisms to adapt to environmental stress.
Epigenetic modifications can influence heritable traits.
Cold tolerance is a crucial adaptive trait in rice.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the role of environmentally induced epialleles in acquiring cold tolerance in rice.
To understand the heritability of adaptive traits mediated by epigenetic factors.

Main Methods:

Analysis of the ACQUIRED COLD TOLERANCE 1 gene in rice.
Investigating environmentally induced epigenetic changes.
Studying the heritability of cold tolerance.

Main Results:

An epiallele at ACQUIRED COLD TOLERANCE 1 was identified.
This epiallele was induced by environmental factors.
The epiallele mediated the heritable acquisition of cold tolerance.

Conclusions:

Environmental induction of epialleles can lead to heritable adaptive traits.
Epigenetic regulation plays a significant role in plant adaptation to cold stress.
The ACQUIRED COLD TOLERANCE 1 locus is key to environmentally mediated cold adaptation in rice.