Extra- and intranuclear heat perception and triggering mechanisms in plants

Xiaolong Yang; Hongling Guan; Yinghua Yang; Yiting Zhang; Wei Su; Shiwei Song; Houcheng Liu; Riyuan Chen; Yanwei Hao

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1276649

Extra- and intranuclear heat perception and triggering mechanisms in plants

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Oct 4:14:1276649. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1276649. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiaolong Yang¹, Hongling Guan¹, Yinghua Yang¹, Yiting Zhang¹, Wei Su¹, Shiwei Song¹, Houcheng Liu¹, Riyuan Chen¹, Yanwei Hao¹

Affiliation

¹ College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

The escalating impact of global warming on crop yield and quality poses a significant threat to future food supplies. Breeding heat-resistant crop varieties holds promise, but necessitates a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant heat tolerance. Recent studies have shed light on the initial events of heat perception in plants. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the recent progress made in unraveling the mechanisms of heat perception and response in plants. Calcium ion (Ca²⁺), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and nitric oxide (NO) have emerged as key participants in heat perception. Furthermore, we discuss the potential roles of the NAC transcription factor NTL3, thermo-tolerance 3.1 (TT3.1), and Target of temperature 3 (TOT3) as thermosensors associated with the plasma membrane. Additionally, we explore the involvement of cytoplasmic HISTONE DEACETYLASE 9 (HDA9), mRNA encoding the phytochrome-interacting factor 7 (PIF7), and chloroplasts in mediating heat perception. This review also highlights the role of intranuclear transcriptional condensates formed by phytochrome B (phyB), EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), and guanylate-binding protein (GBP)-like GTPase 3 (GBPL3) in heat perception. Finally, we raise the unresolved questions in the field of heat perception that require further investigation in the future.

Keywords: GBPL3; global warming; heat stress; liquid-liquid phase separation; phyB; thermosensor; transcriptional condensates.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32202576; 31902013 and 31870286), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2023A1515012674; 2023A1515010497; 2022A1515012278 and 2021A1515010528).