Prolonged cold exposure enhances regeneration potential in Arabidopsis

Abstract

Prolonged cold exposure over winter impacts plant growth and development but its role beyond flowering regulation remains underexplored. In this study, we show that extended cold enhances regenerative capacity, promoting both callus formation and shoot regeneration in Arabidopsis. This enhancement is mediated by the cold-induced AP2/ERF transcription factors C-REPEAT/DRE-BINDING FACTOR 1 (CBF1), CBF2 and CBF3 which interact with the histone acetyltransferase HISTONE ACETYLTRANSFERASE OF THE GNAT FAMILY 1 (HAG1). The CBFs recruit HAG1 to the loci of key regeneration regulators, such as WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5), to promote their expression via histone acetylation. Our findings thus uncover an epigenetic mechanism by which prolonged cold primes plants for enhanced regeneration, highlighting how environmental cues influence developmental plasticity in plants.