COLD1 Confers Chilling Tolerance in Rice

• QTL COLD1 regulates G-protein signaling to confer chilling tolerance in rice
• SNP2 in COLD1jap/ind enhances its ability to activate G-protein α GTPase
• COLD1 interacts with G protein to activate the Ca2+ channel for temperature sensing
• The SNP2-containing allele is selected during japonica rice domestication

SummaryRice is sensitive to cold and can be grown only in certain climate zones. Human selection of japonica rice has extended its growth zone to regions with lower temperature, while the molecular basis of this adaptation remains unknown. Here, we identify the quantitative trait locus COLD1 that confers chilling tolerance in japonica rice. Overexpression of COLD1jap significantly enhances chilling tolerance, whereas rice lines with deficiency or downregulation of COLD1jap are sensitive to cold. COLD1 encodes a regulator of G-protein signaling that localizes on plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It interacts with the G-protein α subunit to activate the Ca2+ channel for sensing low temperature and to accelerate G-protein GTPase activity. We further identify that a SNP in COLD1, SNP2, originated from Chinese Oryza rufipogon, is responsible for the ability of COLDjap/ind to confer chilling tolerance, supporting the importance of COLD1 in plant adaptation.

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