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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2003 Publication Date: 2/19/2004 Citation: Xin, Z. 2004. Esk1 encodes a novel involved in freezing tolerance[abstract]. Keystone Symposium. Interpretive Summary: A novel gene involved in freezing was identified by positional cloning. Further molecular characterization of the gene may lead to the discovery of new mechanisms of freezing tolerance. Technical Abstract: Many temperate plants increase freezing tolerance after exposure to a period of low nonfreezing temperatures through a process known as cold acclimation. To study the genetic mechanisms of freezing tolerance, we have isolated a series of constitutively freezing tolerant mutants. One of these mutants ESK1 displays a 5 degree Celsius improvement in freezing tolerance in the absence of cold acclimation, which accounts for over 70 percent of the total acquired freezing tolerance in fully acclimated wild-type plants. ESK1 gene was identified by positional cloning. It encodes a novel protein with no known functional domain. Cold regulation of genes in CBF-regulon in ESK1 mutants was similar to that in wild-type plants. ESK1 appears to represent new mechanism of freezing tolerance independent of CBF-regulon. |
