An indel in the FAD5 promoter confers cold tolerance by enhancing transcriptional activation of unsaturated fatty acid synthesis in grapevines

selfed population derived from V. amurensis, individuals homozygous for the indel also showed significantly higher UFA levels and superior cold tolerance. This indel is widely present in the American wild Vitis species but absent in some East Asian wild Vitis species and European species, consistent with their lower cold hardiness. Our findings provide a precise genetic target for the manipulation of lipid desaturation to engineer climate-resilient grapevines.