Common signalling pathways of jasmonic acid and cold revealed by weighted gene coexpression network analysis

Plants are using various mechanisms at the molecular, biochemical and physiological levels for resistance to cold stress. These responses are controlled via stress phytohormones. One of the main hormones is jasmonic acid that plays main roles in various stress, however, there are few studies of the effects of the hormones on cold stress. Its signaling pathway in response to low temperature has remained unknown. In this study, a weighted gene co-expression network was utilized to determine the effect of jasmonic acid in response to cold by using microarray data at Arabidopsis. The 15 gene groups were found that each one controls a special process. Photosynthesis and carbohydrate catabolic and metabolic processes are the most important biological processes in response to the two stimuli. Gene co-expression network displays that transcription factors play main roles in the processes. According to results, two transcription factors ERF13 and ORA47 candidate for relationship between jasmonic acid and cold tolerance and possibly intermediate between CBF1 and CBF2 transcription factors and regulatory proteins in the jasmonic acid signal transduction pathway, tify family. Three transcription factors (HY5, bHLH15 and PIF3) also cooperate in the signaling pathway to respond to low temperature in plants.