Plant responses to cold stress: molecular and physiological adaptive mechanisms with breeding advances

Cold stress is a critical bottleneck that constrains crop cultivation boundaries, reshapes species distribution patterns, and limits yield improvement, directly threatening plant survival and growth. This review systematically analyzes the impacts of cold stress on plants with cold stress as its core research focus. Different from superficial descriptive studies, this review conducts an in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant cold tolerance, systematically dissects the complete molecular pathway involving the synergistic interaction among cold signal perception, transduction and downstream response components, comprehensively presents cutting-edge research advances in this field, and clarifies the previously abstract molecular mechanisms. By screening key candidate genes responsive to cold stress, this study deciphers the molecular regulatory code underlying crop cold tolerance and characterizes the corresponding regulatory network, which provides valuable genetic resources and solid theoretical support for molecular breeding of cold-tolerant crops and specifies the direction for the cultivation of cold-tolerant high-yield crops. This research closely responds to national food security demands and bridges laboratory-based molecular exploration with practical field applications. The research outcomes can enhance the stress-resilience of agricultural production, and are of great strategic significance for consolidating the national food security barrier and promoting the high-quality development of agriculture.