Figure 8. Schematic model describing the mechanism of CBFs-mediated COOLAIR expression during the early phase of vernalization.

During the early phase of vernalization, increased CBF upregulates COOLAIR expression by binding to CRT/DREs at the 3′-end of FLC. In the late phase of vernalization, owing to the silencing of FLC chromatin, CBF proteins are released from the CRT/DREs in the COOLAIR promoter, which leads to a reduction in COOLAIR levels.