Cold-stress responses

As it is thought that modifications of membranes are important in the cold stress response, a question which has not been addressed yet is the subcellular localisation of the cold-regulated gene products. No clear experimental data are available. However, from the cDNA sequences determined so far it can be deduced that the predicted proteins lack obvious signal sequences and are therefore very likely to be localised in the cytoplasm (Schaffer Fischer, 1988 Cattivelli Bartels, 1990 Kurkela Franck, 1990). These data are in agreement with comparisons of in vivo and in vitro synthesised protein patterns, because for many polypeptides no post-translational modifications were predicted from 2-dimensional electrophoresis analyses (Cattivelli Bartels, 1989). With the availability of cloned probes this problem can be analysed directly by the functional expression of the cDNA clones and the production of antibodies which can be used for immunolocalisation of the corresponding proteins. 

Shinozaki, K., Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, K., and Seki, M., 2003, Regulatory network of gene expression in the drought and cold stress responses. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 6 410—417. 

Several ABA responsive genes were initially identified as osmotic or cold stress-responsive genes, since both stresses increase the level of the phytohormone abscisic acid... 

Kagawa, N., Q. Cao, and K. Kusano (2003). Expression of human aromatase (CYP19) in Escherichia coli by N-terminal replacement and induction of cold stress response. Steroids 68, 205-209. 

Phenolic compounds may be involved in plant responses to cold stress and in plant acclimation to low temperature. Acclimation of apple trees to cold climates was found to be associated with a seasonal accumulation of chlorogenic acid [102]. Strengthened frost tolerance in a variety of plants were attributed to thicker cell-wall lignification or suberization [102]. Thickening of cell walls and increased production of suberin-type lipids were observed in cold-acclimated winter rye leaves [103]. The presence of suberin in cell walls may favour membrane cell-wall adhesion, a major factor in the resistance of plant cells to freezing [104]. 

A group of proteins that are synthesized by plant cells, prokaryotic cells, and eukaryotic cells in response to cold stress. It has been suggested that cold-shock proteins (CSPs) function as chaperones for mRNA. See Graumann, P.L. and Marshiel, M. A., A superfamily of proteins that contain the cold-shock domain, Trends Biochem. Sci. 23,286-290,1998 Phadtare,... 

Kim Ck, Giberson PK, Yu W, et al. Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to chronic cold stress in rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1999 23(2) 301-10. 

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