{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T05:11:38Z","timestamp":1789017098251,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788825600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"China Agriculture Research System","award":["CARS-13"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-13"]}]},{"award":["CARS-13"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-13"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03p5eky76","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Hebei Agriculture Research System","award":["HBCT2024040205"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HBCT2024040205"]}]},{"name":"Liaoning Major Science and Technology Special Project","award":["2025JH1\/11700015"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025JH1\/11700015"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012144","name":"Hebei Agricultural University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["YJ2020058"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["YJ2020058"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012144","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["YJ2020058"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["YJ2020058"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/009fw8j44","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally vital oil and cash crop. However, frequent cold stress severely compromises its yield stability. To address this challenge, we conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for two cold tolerance-associated traits, namely relative emergence rate (RER) and relative emergence index (REI), across four distinct environments using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cold-tolerant landrace Silihong and cold-sensitive cultivar Jinonghei 3. Two core QTLs associated with cold tolerance were detected, including qRER6 stable across all environments with PVE of 4.91\u20135.15% and a co-localized QTL qRER18.1\/qREI18.2 on chromosome 18 that governs both target traits with PVE of 14.56\u201314.71% and 10.34%. Through integrated analysis of QTL mapping and Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Arahy.657RUG was identified as a candidate cold tolerance gene and designated Ahcold18. Differential expression analysis and heterologous overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana under freezing stress (\u22129 \u00b0C) showed that Ahcold18 enhances plant survival under low-temperature stress, suggesting a general role in cold tolerance that warrants further investigation in the context of peanut chilling tolerance. A gene-based KASP marker (KASP-2374669), developed from variant sites within Ahcold18, showed preliminary association with RER and REI in the RIL population; however, further validation in diverse germplasm is required to confirm its utility for marker-assisted selection. This study provides a critical genetic resource and a precise technical tool for marker-assisted breeding of cultivated peanut with cold tolerance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15182749","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T13:46:33Z","timestamp":1788875193000},"page":"2749","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Unraveling the Genetic Basis of Cold Tolerance in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) via QTL Mapping and Identification of Ahcold18 as a Candidate RWP-RK Transcription Factor"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Yu","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Hebei, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, 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