Current views on temperature-modulated R gene-mediated plant defense responses and tradeoffs between plant growth and immunity

Abstract

Elevated ambient temperatures will likely be a key consequence of climate change over the next few decades. Adverse climatic changes could make crop plants more vulnerable to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses, which would have a major impact on worldwide food production in the future. Recent studies have indicated that elevated temperatures directly and/or indirectly affect plant-pathogen interactions. Elevated temperatures alter multiple signal transduction pathways related to stress responses in the host plant. High temperatures can also influence plant pathogenesis, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms associated with such effects. An improved understanding of the molecular genetic mechanisms involved in plant immune responses under elevated temperatures will be essential to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change to ensure future food security. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the effects of temperature on resistance (R) gene and/or regulators of R genes in plant defense responses and summarize current evidence for tradeoffs between plant growth and immunity.