They found that at low temperatures, intron 6 of frq mRNA is preferentially spliced, resulting in the exclusion of the l-FRQ translation initiation site.
This mechanism works alongside a temperature-dependent inhibition of translation by uORFs to effectively modulate FRQ levels – and thereby circadian rhythmicity – with changes in ambient temperature.
Dr. Brunner emphasizes that the "interaction of molecular machinery with non-consensus signals - in this case the interaction of splicing machinery with non-consensus splice sites and the interaction of ribosomes with non-consensus translation initiation sites - may provide a general mechanism for temperature-sensing on the molecular level."
Genes & Development