Integrated physiological and transcriptomic analysis reveals novel key genes underlying cold tolerance in Nicotiana tabacum

Cold stress represents one of the most prevalent abiotic stresses that severely limit the growth, productivity, and geographical distribution of crops. As a thermophilic economic crop, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is particularly vulnerable to chilling injury, often resulting in reduced survival rates and significant yield losses. To investigate the molecular basis of cold tolerance, we conducted comparative analyses of contrasting tobacco varieties: cold-resistant Gui tobacco 40 (GZ40) and cold-