PKS5 Confers Cold Tolerance by Controlling Stomatal Movement and Regulating Cold-Responsive Genes in Arabidopsis.

Cold stress limits plant growth and development; however, the precise mechanisms underpinning plant acclimation to cold stress remain largely unknown. In this study, the Ser/Thr protein kinase SOS2-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE5 (PKS5) was shown to play a positive role in plant responses to cold stress. A PKS5 loss-of-function mutant () exhibited elevated sensitivity to cold stress, as well as a lower survival rate and increased ion leakage. Conversely, PKS5 gain-of-function mutants (, ) were more tolerant to cold stress and exhibited higher survival rates and decreased ion leakage. Stomatal aperture analysis revealed that stomatal closure was slower during the first 25 min after cold exposure in compared to wild-type, whereas and displayed accelerated stomatal closure over the same time period. Further stomatal aperture analysis under an abscisic acid (ABA) treatment showed slower closure in and more rapid closure in and Finally, expression levels of cold-responsive genes were regulated by PKS5 under cold stress conditions, while cold stress and ABA treatment can regulate expression. Taken together, these results suggest that PKS5 plays a positive role in short-term plant acclimation to cold stress by regulating stomatal aperture, possibly via ABA pathways, and in long-term acclimation by regulating cold-responsive genes.