The study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold-induced expression of the potato vacuolar invertase gene (Vlnv) and its role in "cold-induced sweetening" (CIS), a postharvest problem in the potato industry. The researchers identified a 200 bp enhancer, Vlnvln2En, located in the second intron of the Vlnv gene, which controls its cold-induced expression. They identified DNA motifs in Vlnvln2En that bind transcription factors involved in plant cold stress response, and mutation of these motifs abolished the enhancer's function. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, they developed deletion lines in both diploid and tetraploid potato, which significantly reduced Vlnv transcription in cold-stored tubers. The Vlnvln2En sequence is highly conserved among distantly related Solanum species, suggesting an evolutionary role in cold stress response. The study concludes that the Vlnv gene and Vlnvln2En enhancer have distinct roles in the cold stress response in tuber-bearing Solanum species.The study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold-induced expression of the potato vacuolar invertase gene (Vlnv) and its role in "cold-induced sweetening" (CIS), a postharvest problem in the potato industry. The researchers identified a 200 bp enhancer, Vlnvln2En, located in the second intron of the Vlnv gene, which controls its cold-induced expression. They identified DNA motifs in Vlnvln2En that bind transcription factors involved in plant cold stress response, and mutation of these motifs abolished the enhancer's function. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, they developed deletion lines in both diploid and tetraploid potato, which significantly reduced Vlnv transcription in cold-stored tubers. The Vlnvln2En sequence is highly conserved among distantly related Solanum species, suggesting an evolutionary role in cold stress response. The study concludes that the Vlnv gene and Vlnvln2En enhancer have distinct roles in the cold stress response in tuber-bearing Solanum species.