Temperature Sensing in Plants

Abstract

Temperature is a key environmental cue that influences the distribution and behavior of plants globally. Understanding how plants sense temperature and integrate this information into their development is important to determine how plants adapt to climate change and to apply this knowledge to the breeding of climate-resilient crops. The mechanisms of temperature perception in eukaryotes are only just beginning to be understood, with multiple molecular phenomena with inherent temperature dependencies, such as RNA melting, phytochrome dark reversion, and protein phase change, being exploited by nature to create thermosensory signaling networks. Here, we review recent progress in understanding how temperature sensing in four major pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana occurs: vernalization, cold stress, thermomorphogenesis, and heat stress. We discuss outstanding questions in the field and the importance of these mechanisms in the context of breeding climate-resilient crops.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; adaptation; cold stress; heat stress; thermomorphogenesis; thermosensor.