Cold tolerance of woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is linked to Cold Box Factor 4 and the dehydrin Xero2.

This article focuses on identifying genetic and metabolic factors underlying cold tolerance in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), a crop wild relative (CWR) of the domesticated garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), which is highly susceptible to frost. Screening 70 wild accessions from the German Gene Bank for Crop Wild Relatives (WEL), researchers identified genotypes with contrasting cold tolerance and found that the transcription factor Cold Box Factor 4 (CBF4) and the dehydrin protein Xero2 are molecular markers associated with superior cold resilience. Functional assays demonstrated that overexpression of Xero2 in tobacco BY-2 cells conferred enhanced cold tolerance. Metabolomic analyses revealed distinct metabolic signatures in cold-tolerant versus cold-susceptible genotypes, including higher baseline levels of protective amino acids, antioxidants, and metabolites linked to membrane stability in tolerant plants. These findings highlight the potential of CWRs as valuable genetic resources for improving cold stress resilience in economically important crops like strawberry.