How Winter-Like Cold Enhances Plant Regeneration Elucidated

August 13, 2026

CBF-HAG1 complex promotes regeneration via histone acetylation

An international joint research group consisting of the RIKEN CSRS, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and National Taiwan University has discovered the mechanism by which prolonged cold exposure enhances plants’ regeneration potential.

The regeneration potential of plants is important for agriculture and breeding, but the effect of cold on regeneration hasn’t been fully understood. Scientists in the horticultural field have empirically recognized that winter cold enhances root formation and growth following grafting. It’s mechanism, however, has yet to be elucidated.

In this study, the research group discovered that cold treatment for more than 6 weeks enhances regeneration of stems, leaves, and roots in the model plant Arabidopsis. The researchers also revealed that cold-induced transcription factors, C-REPEAT/DRE-BINDING FACTORs (CBFs), promote histone acetylation, thereby activating the expression of a regeneration regulator, WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5), to enhance regenerative capacity. The findings of this study led to the elucidation of the mechanism by which prolonged cold exposure enhances plant regeneration for the first time. It was also demonstrated that the mechanism operates through a distinct pathway independent of vernalization by which plants acquire the ability to flower in response to winter cold.

The findings of this study are expected to deepen understanding of regenerative mechanisms in plants and promote their application to efficient regeneration and breeding technologies in crops.

 

Original article

Developmental Cell　DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2026.07.009

F. Hung, Y. C. Ince, A. Kawamura, A. Takebayashi, Y. Chen, T. T. Nagae, A. Iwase, N. Takeda-Kamiya, K. Toyooka, D. Shi, M. Moreno-Risueno, K. Wu, K. Sugimoto,

"Prolonged cold exposure enhances regeneration potential in Arabidopsis".

Contact

Fu-Yu Hung; Visiting Scientist
Keiko Sugimoto; Team Director
Cell Function Research Team