Transcriptomic Insights into Freezing Tolerance Mechanisms in Sugar Beet
Freezing stress remains a critical environmental constraint affecting early-stage sugar beet establishment, particularly during unexpected spring frosts. Exposure to subzero temperatures can disrupt cellular homeostasis, impair membrane integrity, and ultimately reduce crop productivity. Understanding the molecular basis of freezing tolerance is therefore essential for developing resilient sugar beet cultivars. In a recent transcriptomic investigation, researchers examined the response of two contrasting sugar beet genotypes—one freezing-tolerant and one freezing-sensitive—following exposure to −4 °C for 0, 1, 3, and 5 hours. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the study identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with cold stress adaptation. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway play central roles in coordinating the freezing response. These pathways are known to regulate stress p...