Transcriptomic analysis of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) response to low-temperature stress reveals a cold-resistant gene EjCBF1

• Transcriptome of leaves revealed mechanisms of cold adaptation in loquat. • EjCBF1 was screened as the cold-resistant candidate from DEGs. • Over-expression of EjCBF1 enhanced cold tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana . Cold stress poses a severe threat to loquat production and can even lead to total crop loss. The mechanism underlying cold tolerance in loquat leaves is unclear. In this study, transcriptomic analysis was used to investigate cold response of loquat leaves to low-temperature treatment, and candidate cold-resistant genes were screened for functional identification. A total of 51,464 genes were identified, and 6364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered to regulate cold adaption in loquat leaves. The up-regulated DEGs were found to be reigning members during cold treatment. 537 comomon DEGs were revealed based on the comparison of samples after low-temperature treatment with those at the initial time point. DGEs were enriched on Gene Ontology (GO) terms related to regulation of oxygen levels and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to plant hormone and MAPK signal transduction, respectively. According to qPCR analysis, EjCBF1 exhibited the greatest up-regulation in loquat leaves under cold stress, and it was increased by freezing treatment in young fruits. Cold resistance was enhanced by the over-expression of EjCBF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana with the survival rate increase and the electrolyte leakage repression. The expression of CORs was induced by EjCBF1 to strengthen antioxidases activities in Arabidopsis , alleviating chilling damage in leaves via the H 2 O 2 scavenging. Our study provides new insights into the response of loquat to low-temperature stress and mines a crucial genetic resource, EjCBF1 , for cold-resistant cultivar development through hybridization breeding.