Plant histone modifications in response to cold stress

Abstract

Cold stress is a major environmental factor limiting agricultural expansion and crop yields, and plants have developed diverse molecular mechanisms to cope with a lifetime of exposure to cold stress. Histone modifications play a fundamental role in regulating chromatin dynamics and transcriptional activation, either directly or through protein adaptors termed effectors. Growing evidence indicates that the chromatin remodeling caused by histone modifications, including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination, is required for stress-responsive transcription, stress adaptation, and stress memory in plants. In this mini-review, I have summarized the current knowledge regarding the histone modifications associated with plant responses to cold stress, and discussed the roles of these modifications in improving plant cold tolerance.