title: Cold tolerance in Arabidopsis kamchatica.
abstract: •
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Cold tolerance is a critically important factor determining how plants will be influenced by climate change, including changes in snowcover and extreme weather events. Although a great deal is known about cold tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, it is not highly cold tolerant. This study examined cold tolerance and its genetic diversity in an herbaceous subarctic relative, Arabidopsis kamchatica, which generally occurs in much colder climates.•
  
  
  METHODS
  Thermal analysis and electrolyte leakage were used to estimate supercooling points and lethal temperatures (LT50) in cold-acclimated and nonacclimated families from three populations of A. kamchatica.•
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arabidopsis kamchatica was highly cold tolerant, with a mean LT50 of -10.8°C when actively growing, and -21.8°C when cold acclimated. It also was able to supercool to very low temperatures. Surprisingly, actively growing plants supercooled more than acclimated plants (-14.7 vs. -12.7°C). There was significant genetic variation for cold tolerance both within and among populations. However, both cold tolerance and genetic diversity were highest in the midlatitude population rather than in the far north, indicating that adaptations to climate change are most likely to arise in the center of the species range rather than at the edges.•
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arabidopsis kamchatica is highly cold tolerant throughout its range. It is far more freeze tolerant than A. thaliana, and supercooled to lower temperatures, suggesting that A. kamchatica provides a valuable complement to A. thaliana for cold tolerance research.
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, 311 Irving I, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 900 Yukon Drive, Room 358, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA.
authors.forename: Jessica J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, 311 Irving I, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takebayashi
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, 311 Irving I, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA Department of Wildlife Management/ North Slope Borough, Barrow, Alaska 99723 USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sformo
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, 311 Irving I, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA.
authors.forename: Diana E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000413:Alaska; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001955:British Columbia; D057231:Climate Change; D003080:Cold Temperature; D014644:Genetic Variation
keywords: Arabidopsis kamchatica; Brassicaceae; LT50; climate change; cold acclimation; cold tolerance; electrolyte leakage; freeze avoidance; freeze tolerance; genetic variation; supercooling