What is it about?
Using genomic and transcript data from 10 angiosperm species, we identify conserved cold-responsive transcription factor groups. A key module—WRKY33 regulating NAC032—supports cold defenses through a pathway that can operate without CBFs, confirmed in Arabidopsis and birch.
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Why is it important?
Cold tolerance strongly affects plant survival and crop yields as temperatures shift. This work shows that a WRKY33–NAC032 regulatory module is evolutionarily conserved, meaning the same “cold response logic” appears in diverse flowering plants. It also expands the view beyond the well-known CBF pathway by demonstrating a CBF-independent route. Cross-species validation in Arabidopsis and birch strengthens confidence that these regulators can transfer their function across species. Together, the results provide practical targets and a framework for predicting and improving cold resilience.
Perspectives
Next, it will be important to map how WRKY33–NAC032 changes gene activity downstream during cold exposure, and when this module is switched on. Researchers can also test whether manipulating these regulators improves cold tolerance in agricultural crops under realistic field conditions. Future work should connect natural genetic variation in WRKY33 and NAC032 to differences in cold performance, enabling marker development for breeding. Finally, studying how this module integrates with other stress signals (e.g., drought or freezing stress dynamics) will help clarify a broader, more predictable cold-response network.
Wenwu Wu
Zhejiang A and F University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evolutionary and functional analyses in angiosperms reveal a conserved cold‐responsive
WRKY
33‐
NAC
032 module, New Phytologist, February 2026, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/nph.71013.
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Resources
MAC5A dual-functionally regulates cold responses at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels
Recently, we also identified an additional CBF-independent, MAC5A-mediated cold-responsive regulatory pathway. MAC5A may regulate cold responses not only through changes in transcription, but also via alternative splicing.
Orthogroup and phylotranscriptomic analyses identify transcription factors involved in the plant cold response: A case study of Arabidopsis BBX29
In this study, we validated Arabidopsis BBX29 induction is CBF- and ABA-independent. BBX29 acts as a negative regulator of cold tolerance by repressing cold-induced transcription factors within gene regulatory networks.
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