Gene Expression Profiling of Transcription Factors and Acclimation-Related Genes in Ribes spp.

The ability of <i>Ribes</i> species to survive the fluctuating winter and early spring conditions, relies on the regulation of transcription factors (TFs) and other key genes involved in the abiotic stress response. In this study, we developed specific primers for 33 stress-responsive genes, which may facilitate future functional studies in <i>Ribes</i> and other less-characterized lineages within the Saxifragales order. These genes were selected based on a comparative transcriptomic analysis of <i>R. nigrum</i> cv. Aldoniai and are known to function in cold acclimation and stress signaling pathways. We analyzed expression profiles of these 33 genes in <i>R. aureum</i>, <i>R. hudsonianum</i>, and <i>R. nigrum</i> microshoot cultures exposed to controlled cold stress, deacclimation and reacclimation treatments. Our results revealed species-specific genetic responses across acclimation cycles of varying durations (24-96 h). Cold stress induces molecular changes in three <i>Ribes</i> spp.; however, deacclimation triggered by transient warming significantly reduced freezing tolerance in <i>R. nigrum</i>, had a moderate effect on <i>R. hudsonianum</i>, and minor impact on <i>R. aureum</i>. Gene expression profiling revealed distinct, species-specific regulatory patterns among species during different stress cycles, highlighting conserved and specific genes in acclimation mechanisms within the <i>Ribes</i> spp. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of transcriptional regulation under acclimation cycles in currants and provide molecular tools that may support breeding strategies aimed at enhancing cold tolerance in <i>Ribes</i> crops amid increasing climate variability.