Transcriptome analysis of cold responsive gene expression related to CBF2 loss of function in Arabidopsis thaliana

We examined the consequences of a naturally occurring loss of function (LOF) mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana, in an Italian allele of the gene that encodes the transcription factor CBF2, which underlies a major freezing tolerance locus. We used four lines with a Swedish genetic background, each containing a LOF CBF2 allele. Two lines had introgression segments containing the Italian CBF2 allele, and two contained deletions created using CRISPR-Cas9. We used a growth chamber experiment to quantify freezing tolerance and gene expression both before and after cold acclimation.