This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will establish the feasibility of producing plants tolerant to rapid temperature drops to freezing conditions. Most plants can survive freezing if allowed time to become cold acclimated at non-freezing temperatures, due to induction of the COR (cold regulated) genes. However, sudden temperature drops to freezing temperatures damage most crops if they have not been recently cold acclimated. Dr. Thomashow (MSU) overexpressed the CBF1 gene in Arabidopsis plants and found that CBF1 induces the COR genes and conditions plants to survive freezing without prior cold acclimation. This research will determine whether constitutive expression of CBF1, or other newly isolated CBF genes, is detrimental to Arabidopsis plants under normal growing conditions by measuring plant growth, flowering time, biochemistry and yields. The results should indicate the technical feasibility and the CBF gene with the best biological properties for producing frost-tolerant crops including corn (1995 frost losses of more than $ 1 Billion), soy, wheat, strawberries, and eucalyptus. Results from Arabidopsis are particularly relevant in the closely related Brassica crops. Mendel Biotechnology has an option to an exclusive license to commercially develop CBF genes and will collaborate with MSU during Phase I.
