 The study identified a gene called COG1 that confers chilling tolerance in japonica rice. This gene was found to be derived from a wild species of rice or as a rufipagon, and has been fixed in japonica rice since its domestication. COG1 is located on chromosome QCS11, JAP, which contains a QTL for chilling tolerance. It is composed of two parts, a membrane-localized lusine-rich repeat protein, LRLP, and a kinase called OSSEIL2. When exposed to cold temperatures, COG1 triggers a signalling cascade that leads to activation of OSMAPK3 in the cytoplasm. This signalling pathway ultimately results in increased expression of genes involved in chilling tolerance. This article was authored by Chanxianxia, Guohuo Liang, Kang Chong, and others.