Molecular mechanisms of plant tolerance to heat stress: current landscape and future perspectives

• Published in: Plant cell reports 2021-12, Vol.40 (12), p.2247-2271
• Main Authors: Haider, Saqlain, Iqbal, Javed, Naseer, Sana, Yaseen, Tabassum, Shaukat, Muzaffar, Bibi, Haleema, Ahmad, Yumna, Daud, Hina, Abbasi, Nayyab Laiba, Mahmood, Tariq
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acclimation; Acclimatization; Adaptation; Ambient temperature; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Calcium Signaling; Cell Biology; Chromatin - genetics; Chromatin - metabolism; Climate change; Crop production; Crops; Crops, Agricultural; Cultivars; Deciphering the Drought and Thermo-tolerance Mechanisms in Plants: The Road Ahead of Future Research; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene expression; Heat; Heat stress; Heat tolerance; Heat-Shock Response - physiology; High temperature; Life Sciences; Lipid Metabolism; Molecular modelling; New technology; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Breeding; Plant growth; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Sciences; Review; RNA, Plant - genetics; RNA, Plant - metabolism; Signaling; Temperature perception; Temperature tolerance; Thermotolerance - physiology
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02696-3

Key message We summarize recent studies focusing on the molecular basis of plant heat stress response (HSR), how HSR leads to thermotolerance, and promote plant adaptation to recurring heat stress events. The global crop productivity is facing unprecedented threats due to climate change as high temperature negatively influences plant growth and metabolism. Owing to their sessile nature, plants have developed complex signaling networks which enable them to perceive changes in ambient temperature. This in turn activates a suite of molecular changes that promote plant survival and reproduction under adverse conditions. Deciphering these mechanisms is an important task, as this could facilitate development of molecular markers, which could be ultimately used to breed thermotolerant crop cultivars. In current article, we summarize mechanisms involve in plant heat stress acclimation with special emphasis on advances related to heat stress perception, heat-induced signaling, heat stress-responsive gene expression and thermomemory that promote plant adaptation to short- and long-term-recurring heat-stress events. In the end, we will discuss impact of emerging technologies that could facilitate the development of heat stress-tolerant crop cultivars.