Hot topic: Thermosensing in plants

Abstract

Plants alter their morphology and cellular homeostasis to promote resilience under a variety of heat regimes. Molecular processes that underlie these responses have been intensively studied and found to encompass diverse mechanisms operating across a broad range of cellular components, timescales and temperatures. This review explores recent progress throughout this landscape with a particular focus on thermosensing in the model plant Arabidopsis. Direct temperature sensors include the photosensors phytochrome B and phototropin, the clock component ELF3 and an RNA switch. In addition, there are heat‐regulated processes mediated by ion channels, lipids and lipid‐modifying enzymes, taking place at the plasma membrane and the chloroplast. In some cases, the mechanism of temperature perception is well understood but in others, this remains an open question. Potential novel thermosensing mechanisms are based on lipid and liquid–liquid phase separation. Finally, future research directions of high temperature perception and signalling pathways are discussed.

Arabidopsis LSH8 Positively Regulates ABA Signaling by Changing the Expression Pattern of ABA-Responsive Proteins

“…The expression of LSH3 and LSH4 in the cells of various lateral organs, such as the cotyledon, the leaf and the flower organ, inhibits the differentiation of the boundary organ [ 25 , 28 , 29 ]. LSH9 interacts with the temperature sensor ELF3 to regulate hypocotyl elongation [ 30 , 31 ]. In addition, proteins of the LSH family can regulate inflorescence structure and flower organ development in other plant species [ 32 ].…”

Scaling plant responses to high temperature from cell to ecosystem

“…To know how plants respond to heat requires knowing how they sense heat. Hayes, Schachtschabel, Mishkind, Munnik, and Arisz (2021) provide an update on the molecular mechanisms that come into play during heating. They describe a variety of responses that plants use to avoid heat damage, to acclimate to the heat and to provide protection against severe heat.…”

“…Plasma membrane-linked proteins, Ca 2+ channels, H 2 O 2 signals and other molecular mechanisms are brought together to make a comprehensive assessment of heat sensing. In addition, phytochrome B and phototropin and a clock component ELF3 were identified as direct temperature sensors in the model plant Arabidopsis (Hayes et al, 2021). These sensors, and other mechanisms based on lipid signalling pathways, provide a spectrum of heat sensing mechanisms to help plants acclimate or survive heat conditions.…”

Anticipatory responses to drought by plants: What are the environmental cues?

“…Temperature responses in plants are not only the result of the effect of temperature on overall metabolic-and biochemical-reaction rates, but temperature is like light sensed and used as a source of information that triggers specific responses (Hayes et al, 2021). The R and FR photoreceptor phytochrome B and the UV-A/B photoreceptor phototropin are among plants' direct temperature sensors (Casal and Qüesta, 2018;Hayes et al, 2021).…”