Enhanced Heat Stress Tolerance Research Articles

The Arabidopsis Phytocystatin AtCYS5 Enhances Seed Germination and Seedling Growth under Heat Stress Conditions.

Phytocystatins (PhyCYSs) are plant-specific proteinaceous inhibitors that are implicated in protein turnover and stress responses. Here, we characterized a PhyCYS from Arabidopsis thaliana, which was designated AtCYS5. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression of AtCYS5 in germinating seeds was induced by heat stress (HS) and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Analysis of the expression of the β-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of the AtCYS5 promoter showed that AtCYS5 expression during seed germination was induced by HS and ABA. Constitutive overexpression of AtCYS5 driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter led to enhanced HS tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis, which was characterized by higher fresh weight and root length compared to wild-type (WT) and knockout (cys5) plants grown under HS conditions. The HS tolerance of At-CYS5-overexpressing transgenic plants was associated with increased insensitivity to exogenous ABA during both seed germination and post-germination compared to WT and cys5. Although no HS elements were identified in the 5′-flanking region of AtCYS5, canonical ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) were detected. AtCYS5 was upregulated in ABA-treated protoplasts transiently co-expressing this gene and genes encoding bZIP ABRE-binding factors (ABFs and AREB3). In the absence of ABA, ABF1 and ABF3 directly bound to the ABREs in the AtCYS5 promoter, which activated the transcription of this gene in the presence of ABA. These results suggest that an ABA-dependent pathway plays a positive role in the HS-responsive expression of AtCYS5 during seed germination and post-germination growth.

Overexpression of DlNAC1 Gene Isolated from Dendranthema lavandulifolium in Enhancing Heat Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco

Overexpression of DlNAC1 Gene Isolated from Dendranthema lavandulifolium in Enhancing Heat Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco

Towards a genotypic adaptation strategy for Indian groundnut cultivation using an ensemble of crop simulations

Climate change has been projected to significantly affect agricultural productivity and hence food availability in the coming decades. The uncertainty associated with projecting climate change impacts is a barrier to agricultural adaptation. Despite uncertainty quantification becoming more prominent in impact studies, the thorough quantification of more than one uncertainty source is not commonly exercised. This work focuses on Indian groundnut and uses the General Large Area Model for annual crops (GLAM) to investigate the response of groundnut under future climate scenarios, develop a genotypic adaptation strategy, and quantify the main uncertainty sources. Results suggest that despite large uncertainty in yield projections (to which crop- and climate-related sources contribute 46 and 54 %, respectively) no-regret strategies are possible for Indian groundnut. Benefits from genotypic adaptation were robust towards the choice of climate model, crop model parameters and bias-correction methods. Groundnut breeding for 2030 climates should be oriented toward increasing maximum photosynthetic rates, total assimilate partitioned to seeds, and, where enough soil moisture is available, also maximum transpiration rates. No benefit from enhanced heat stress tolerance was observed, though this trait may become important as warming intensifies. Managing yield variability remains a challenge for groundnut, suggesting that an integral approach to crop adaptation that includes year-to-year coping strategies as well as improvements in crop management is needed across all India.

The Arabidopsis transcriptional regulator DPB3-1 enhances heat stress tolerance without growth retardation in rice.

SummaryThe enhancement of heat stress tolerance in crops is an important challenge for food security to facilitate adaptation to global warming. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the transcriptional regulator DNA polymerase II subunit B3‐1 (DPB3‐1)/nuclear factor Y subunit C10 (NF‐YC10) has been reported as a positive regulator of Dehydration‐responsive element binding protein 2A (DREB2A), and the overexpression of DPB3‐1 enhances heat stress tolerance without growth retardation. Here, we show that DPB3‐1 interacts with DREB2A homologues in rice and soya bean. Transactivation analyses with Arabidopsis and rice mesophyll protoplasts indicate that DPB3‐1 and its rice homologue OsDPB3‐2 function as positive regulators of DREB2A homologues. Overexpression of DPB3‐1 did not affect plant growth or yield in rice under nonstress conditions. Moreover, DPB3‐1‐overexpressing rice showed enhanced heat stress tolerance. Microarray analysis revealed that many heat stress‐inducible genes were up‐regulated in DPB3‐1‐overexpressing rice under heat stress conditions. However, the overexpression of DPB3‐1 using a constitutive promoter had almost no effect on the expression of these genes under nonstress conditions. This may be because DPB3‐1 is a coactivator and thus lacks inherent transcriptional activity. We conclude that DPB3‐1, a coactivator that functions specifically under abiotic stress conditions, could be utilized to increase heat stress tolerance in crops without negative effects on vegetative and reproductive growth.

Loss of Arabidopsis 5'-3' Exoribonuclease AtXRN4 Function Enhances Heat Stress Tolerance of Plants Subjected to Severe Heat Stress.

mRNA degradation plays an important role in the rapid and dynamic alteration of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Arabidopsis 5'-3' exoribonuclease (AtXRN4), a homolog of yeast Xrn1p, functions after a de-capping step in the degradation of uncapped RNAs. While Xrn1p-dependent degradation of mRNA is the main process of mRNA decay in yeast, information pertaining to the targets of XRN4-based degradation in plants is limited. In order to better understand the biological function of AtXRN4, the current study examined the survivability of atxrn4 mutants subjected to heat stress. The results indicated that atxrn4 mutants, compared with wild-type plants, exhibited an increased survival rate when subjected to a short-term severe heat stress. A microarray and mRNA decay assay showed that loss of AtXRN4 function caused a reduction in the degradation of heat shock factor A2 (HSFA2) and ethylene response factor 1 (ERF1) mRNA. The heat stress tolerance phenotype of atxrn4 mutants was significantly reduced or lost by mutation of HSFA2, a known key regulator of heat acclimation, thus indicating that HSFA2 is a target gene of AtXRN4-mediated mRNA degradation both under non-stress conditions and during heat acclimation. These results demonstrate that AtXRN4-mediated mRNA degradation is linked to the suppression of heat acclimation.

A calcium-binding protein, rice annexin OsANN1, enhances heat stress tolerance by modulating the production of H2O2.

OsANN1 is a member of the annexin protein family in rice. The function of this protein and the mechanisms of its involvement in stress responses and stress tolerance are largely unknown. Here it is reported that OsANN1 confers abiotic stress tolerance by modulating antioxidant accumulation under abiotic stress. OsANN1-knockdown [RNA interference (RNAi)] plants were more sensitive to heat and drought stresses, whereas OsANN1-overexpression (OE) lines showed improved growth with higher expression of OsANN1 under abiotic stress. Overexpression of OsANN1 promoted SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase) activities, which regulate H2O2 content and redox homeostasis, suggesting the existence of a feedback mechanism between OsANN1 and H2O2 production under abiotic stress. Higher expression of OsANN1 can provide overall cellular protection against abiotic stress-induced damage, and a significant accumulation of OsANN1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) signals was found in the cytosol after heat shock treatment. OsANN1 also has calcium-binding and ATPase activities in vitro, indicating that OsANN1 has multiple functions in rice growth. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays demonstrated that OsANN1 interacts with OsCDPK24. This cross-talk may provide additional layers of regulation in the abiotic stress response.

Acetyl salicylic acid and 24-epibrassinolide enhance root activity and improve root morphological features in tomato plants under heat stress

High temperature has deleterious impacts on tomato growth and development and limits its production. Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) have been widely reported as stress-ameliorating agents. The effect of exogenous application of varying levels of EBL (0.75, 1.5, and 3 µM) and ASA (0.25, 0.75, and 1.25 mM) on root activity (RA) in terms of 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction and root morphological features was evaluated in four-week-old tomato seedlings (cultivar: Mei Jie Lo) grown under high-temperature stress (46°C/4 h per day) for 21 days. The daily heat stress treatment almost ceased the root growth of chemically untreated seedlings. However, both EBL and ASA significantly attenuated the deleterious impacts of heat stress to different extents regarding root activity, total root length, surface area, volume, and number of nodes and connections. Different concentrations demonstrated signature effects. EBL (3 µM) was over all the best treatment to improve root activity whereas ASA (0.25 mM) best enhanced root architecture (net length, volume, and area) as compared to the untreated heat-stressed controls. However, EBL (3 µM) and ASA (1.25 mM) slightly inhibited mean root diameter. It is concluded that under high-temperature conditions, the exogenous EBL and ASA in studied doses improve root morphological features and root activity, hence enhance heat stress tolerance. Both chemical agents can be potential candidates in practical agriculture for extension of tomato growth period in summer by virtue of their heat stress amelioration ability.

Overexpression of mitochondrial uncoupling protein conferred resistance to heat stress and Botrytis cinerea infection in tomato

The mitochondrial uncoupling protein genes improve plant stress tolerance by minimizing oxidative damage. However, the underlying mechanism of redox homeostasis and antioxidant signaling associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation remained poorly understood. We introduced LeUCP gene into tomato line Ailsa Craig via Agrobacterium-mediated method. Transgenic lines were confirmed for integration into the tomato genome using PCR and Southern blot hybridization. One to three copies of the transgene were integrated into the tomato nuclear genome. Transcription of LeUCP in various transgenic lines was determined using real-time PCR. Transgenic tomato overexpressing LeUCP showed higher growth rate, chlorophyll content, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) and electron transport rate (ETR), increased contents of AsA and proline, higher AsA/DHA ratio and GalLDH activity, reduced ROS accumulation, and enhanced heat stress tolerance compared with the control plants. The transgenic tomato plants also exhibited significant increases in tolerance against the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Taken together, our results suggest that LeUCP may play a pivotal role in controlling a broad range of abiotic and biotic stresses in plants by increasing redox level and antioxidant capacity, elevating electron transport rate, lowering H2O2 and lipid peroxidation accumulation.