The rcf1-1 mutation affects global gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana with or without cold stress.

Cold stress is one of the most severe environmental conditions which cause huge losses in crop production worldwide. We identified an essential regulator of cold-responsive genes and used the Affymetrix whole-genome arrays to define downstream targets of this important protein. We used the microarrays to reveal the effect of rcf1-1 mutation on global gene expression with or without cold stress at 4°C. A set of genes differentially expressed in rcf1-1 with or without cold stress are identified. Fourteen-day-old seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana wild type (Columbia gl1 expressing CBF2::LUC transgene) and rcf1-1 mutant seedlings subjected to cold stress at 4°C for 0, 12, and 24 h were used for total RNA extraction and hybridizations with Affymetrix ATH1 GeneChips. There are two biological replicate per genotype.