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Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 September 2018) | Viewed by 60552

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Dr. Nobuhiro Suzuki

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
Interests: heat stress; stress combinations; reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulatory systems; long-distance signaling; signaling networks
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extreme temperatures can have detrimental effects on yield production worldwide. Despite the extensive studies focusing on the mechanisms underlying the responses of plants to temperature stresses, such agricultural problems have not been solved. This might be due to the massive gap between relatively simple lab conditions employed in many studies and more complex natural environments. For instance, it is impossible to predict when plants can be exposed to extreme temperatures under natural environment; thus, researchers need to study the detailed mechanisms regulating temperature stress responses of plants in different developmental stages. In addition, responses of plants to extreme temperatures may be different depending on type of tissues, intensity and duration of stresses, timing, plant species, and so on.

This Special Issue will explore the molecular basis of the complex and flexible mode of plants’ responses to extreme temperatures. Various signaling pathways and their integrations underlying diverse or specific responses of plants to temperature stresses should be addressed. In addition, research leading to the improvement of temperature stress tolerance of crops in agricultural fields is also welcome.

Dr. Nobuhiro Suzuki
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Heat stress
Cold stress
Signaling
Molecular mechanisms
Complexity
Specificity
Diversity
Agriculture

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 142 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants

by Nobuhiro Suzuki

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(8), 2001; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20082001 - 24 Apr 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3240

Abstract

Extreme temperatures can have detrimental effects on yield production worldwide [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

Research

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13 pages, 2252 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Physiological Analysis Reveals the Role of NR-Derived Nitric Oxide in the Cold Tolerance of Forage Legumes

by Peipei Zhang, Shuangshuang Li, Pengcheng Zhao, Zhenfei Guo and Shaoyun Lu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(6), 1368; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20061368 - 19 Mar 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3108

Abstract

The role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the cold acclimation of forage legumes was investigated in this study. Medicago sativa subsp. falcata (L.) Arcang. (hereafter M. falcata) is a forage legume with a higher cold tolerance than Medicago truncatula, a model legume. Cold acclimation treatment resulted in increased cold tolerance in both M. falcata and M. truncatula, which was suppressed by pretreatment with tungstate, an inhibitor of nitrate reductase (NR), and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO), a scavenger of NO. Likely, NITRATE REDUCTASE 1 (NIA1), but not NIA2 transcript, NR activity, and NO production were increased after cold treatment. Treatments with exogenous NO donors resulted in increased cold tolerance in both species. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate-peroxidase (APX) activities and Cu,Zn-SOD2, Cu,Zn-SOD3, cytosolic APX1 (cAPX1), cAPX3 and chloroplastic APX1 (cpAPX1) transcript levels were induced in both species after cold treatment, which was suppressed by tungstate and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO). Treatment with exogenous NO resulted in enhanced activities of SOD, CAT, and APX. Moreover, higher levels of NIA1 transcript, NR activity, NO production, and antioxidant enzyme activities and transcripts were observed in M. falcata as compared with M. truncatula after cold treatment. The results suggest that NR-derived NO production and upregulated antioxidant defense are involved in cold acclimation in both species, while the higher levels of NO production and its derived antioxidant enzymes are associated with the higher cold tolerance in M. falcata as compared with M. truncatula. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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15 pages, 3020 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrogen Peroxide and Nitric Oxide Crosstalk Mediates Brassinosteroids Induced Cold Stress Tolerance in Medicago truncatula

by Muhammad Arfan, Da-Wei Zhang, Li-Juan Zou, Shi-Shuai Luo, Wen-Rong Tan, Tong Zhu and Hong-Hui Lin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(1), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20010144 - 2 Jan 2019

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 5843

Abstract

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play pivotal roles in modulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, a Medicago truncatula plant pretreated with brassinolide (BL, the most active BR), enhanced cold stress tolerance by regulating the expression of several cold-related genes and antioxidant enzymes activities. Previous studies reported that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and nitric oxide (NO) are involved during environmental stress conditions. However, how these two signaling molecules interact with each other in BRs-induced abiotic stress tolerance remain largely unclear. BL-pretreatment induced, while brassinazole (BRZ, a specific inhibitor of BRs biosynthesis) reduced H₂O₂ and NO production. Further, application of dimethylthiourea (DMTU, a H₂O₂ and OH⁻ scavenger) blocked BRs-induced NO production, but BRs-induced H₂O₂ generation was not sensitive to 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO, a scavenger of NO). Moreover, pretreatment with DMTU and PTIO decreased BL-induced mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) and the photosystem capacity. However, pretreatment with PTIO was found to be more effective than DMTU in reducing BRs-induced increases in V_alt, V_t, and MtAOX1 gene expression. Similarly, BRs-induced photosystem II efficiency was found in NO dependent manner than H₂O₂. Finally, we conclude that H₂O₂ was involved in NO generation, whereas NO was found to be crucial in BRs-induced AOX capacity, which further contributed to the protection of the photosystem under cold stress conditions in Medicago truncatula. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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11 pages, 586 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Calcium Signaling-Mediated Plant Response to Cold Stress

by Peiguo Yuan, Tianbao Yang and B.W. Poovaiah

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 3896; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19123896 - 5 Dec 2018

Cited by 163 | Viewed by 12486

Abstract

Low temperatures have adverse impacts on plant growth, developmental processes, crop productivity and food quality. It is becoming clear that Ca²⁺ signaling plays a crucial role in conferring cold tolerance in plants. However, the role of Ca²⁺ involved in cold stress response needs to be further elucidated. Recent studies have shown how the perception of cold signals regulate Ca²⁺ channels to induce Ca²⁺ transients. In addition, studies have shown how Ca²⁺ signaling and its cross-talk with nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways ultimately lead to establishing cold tolerance in plants. Ca²⁺ signaling also plays a key role through Ca²⁺/calmodulin-mediated Arabidopsis signal responsive 1 (AtSR1/CAMTA3) when temperatures drop rapidly. This review highlights the current status in Ca²⁺ signaling-mediated cold tolerance in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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19 pages, 12045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteome Revealed Metabolic Changes in Winter Turnip Rape (Brassica rapa L.) under Cold Stress

by Yaozhao Xu, Xiucun Zeng, Jian Wu, Fenqin Zhang, Caixia Li, Jinjin Jiang, Youping Wang and Wancang Sun

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3346; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113346 - 26 Oct 2018

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4325

Abstract

Winter turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.) is a large-scale winter-only oil crop cultivated in Northwest China. However, its cold-resistant molecular mechanism remains inadequate. Studying the cold adaptation mechanisms of winter turnip rape based on the proteomic technique of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) offers a solution to this problem. Under cold stress (−4 °C for eight hours), 51 and 94 differently accumulated proteins (DAPs) in Longyou 7 (cold-tolerant) and Tianyou 4 (cold-sensitive) were identified, respectively. These DAPs were classified into 38 gene ontology (GO) term categories, such as metabolic process, cellular process, catalytic activity, and binding. The 142 DAPs identified between the two cold-stressed cultivars were classified into 40 GO terms, including cellular process, metabolic process, cell, catalytic activity, and binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that the DAPs participated in 10 pathways. The abundance of most protein functions in ribosomes, carbon metabolism, photosynthesis, and energy metabolism including the citrate cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism decreased, and the proteins that participate in photosynthesis–antenna and isoflavonoid biosynthesis increased in cold-stressed Longyou 7 compared with those in cold-stressed Tianyou 4. The expression pattern of genes encoding the 10 significant DAPs was consistent with the iTRAQ data. This study provides new information on the proteomic differences between the leaves of Longyou 7 and Tianyou 4 plants and explains the possible molecular mechanisms of cold-stress adaptation in B. rapa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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14 pages, 1265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Foliar Redox Status on Leaf Vascular Organization Suggest Avenues for Cooptimization of Photosynthesis and Heat Tolerance

by Jared J. Stewart, Christopher R. Baker, Carlie S. Sharpes, Shannon Toy Wong-Michalak, Stephanie K. Polutchko, William W. Adams III and Barbara Demmig-Adams

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(9), 2507; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19092507 - 24 Aug 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3736

Abstract

The interaction of heat stress with internal signaling networks was investigated through Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that were deficient in either tocopherols (vte1 mutant) or non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (NPQ; npq1, npq4, and npq1 npq4 mutants). Leaves of both vte1 and npq1 npq4 mutants that developed at a high temperature exhibited a significantly different leaf vascular organization compared to wild-type Col-0. Both mutants had significantly smaller water conduits (tracheary elements) of the xylem, but the total apparent foliar water-transport capacity and intrinsic photosynthetic capacity were similarly high in mutants and wild-type Col-0. This was accomplished through a combination of more numerous (albeit narrower) water conduits per vein, and a significantly greater vein density in both mutants relative to wild-type Col-0. The similarity of the phenotypes of tocopherol-deficient and NPQ-deficient mutants suggests that leaf vasculature organization is modulated by the foliar redox state. These results are evaluated in the context of interactions between redox-signaling pathways and other key regulators of plant acclimation to growth temperature, such as the C-repeat binding factor (CBF) transcription factors, several of which were upregulated in the antioxidant-deficient mutants. Possibilities for the future manipulation of the interaction between CBF and redox-signaling networks for the purpose of cooptimizing plant productivity and plant tolerance to extreme temperatures are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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20 pages, 8684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The DNA Methylome and Association of Differentially Methylated Regions with Differential Gene Expression during Heat Stress in Brassica rapa

by Gaofeng Liu, Yudong Xia, Tongkun Liu, Shaojun Dai and Xilin Hou

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(5), 1414; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19051414 - 9 May 2018

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 6132

Abstract

Cytosine DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic mechanism in the silencing of transposable elements, imprinting and regulating gene expression. However, little is known about the potential role of mC in response to heat stress. To determine and explore the functions of the dynamic DNA methylome during heat stress, we characterized single-base resolution methylome maps of Brassica rapa and assessed the dynamic changes of mC under heat stress using whole genome bisulfite sequencing. On average, the DNA methylation levels of CG, CHG and CHH are 39.3%, 15.38% and 5.24% in non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC), respectively. We found that the patterns of methylation are similar to other eudicot plants, but with higher CHH methylation levels. Further comparative analysis revealed varying patterns for three sequence contexts (mCG, mCHG and mCHH) under heat stress indicating context- and position-dependent methylation regulation. DNA methylation near the TSS and TES may be closely associated with methylation-dependent transcriptional silencing. Association analysis of differential methylation and differential gene expression revealed a different set of methDEGs involved at early and late stages under heat stress. The systemic characterization of the dynamic DNA methylome during heat stress will improve our understanding of the mechanism of epigenetic regulation under heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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Review

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22 pages, 1894 KiB

Open AccessReview

Integration between ROS Regulatory Systems and Other Signals in the Regulation of Various Types of Heat Responses in Plants

by Kazuma Katano, Kohey Honda and Nobuhiro Suzuki

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3370; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113370 - 28 Oct 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 5711

Abstract

Because of their sessile lifestyle, plants cannot escape from heat stress and are forced to alter their cellular state to prevent damage. Plants, therefore, evolved complex mechanisms to adapt to irregular increases in temperature in the natural environment. In addition to the ability to adapt to an abrupt increase in temperature, plants possess strategies to reprogram their cellular state during pre-exposure to sublethal heat stress so that they are able to survive under subsequent severe heat stress. Such an acclimatory response to heat, i.e., acquired thermotolerance, might depend on the maintenance of heat memory and propagation of long-distance signaling. In addition, plants are able to tailor their specific cellular state to adapt to heat stress combined with other abiotic stresses. Many studies revealed significant roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulatory systems in the regulation of these various heat responses in plants. However, the mode of coordination between ROS regulatory systems and other pathways is still largely unknown. In this review, we address how ROS regulatory systems are integrated with other signaling networks to control various types of heat responses in plants. In addition, differences and similarities in heat response signals between different growth stages are also addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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30 pages, 5175 KiB

Open AccessReview

Ambient Temperature-Responsive Mechanisms Coordinate Regulation of Flowering Time

by Hendry Susila, Zeeshan Nasim and Ji Hoon Ahn

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3196; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103196 - 16 Oct 2018

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 7935

Abstract

In plants, environmental conditions such as temperature affect survival, growth, and fitness, particularly during key stages such as seedling growth and reproduction. To survive and thrive in changing conditions, plants have evolved adaptive responses that tightly regulate developmental processes such as hypocotyl elongation and flowering time in response to environmental temperature changes. Increases in temperature, coupled with increasing fluctuations in local climate and weather, severely affect our agricultural systems; therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which plants perceive and respond to temperature is critical for agricultural sustainability. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the molecular mechanisms of ambient temperature perception as well as possible temperature sensing components in plants. Based on recent publications, we highlight several temperature response mechanisms, including the deposition and eviction of histone variants, DNA methylation, alternative splicing, protein degradation, and protein localization. We discuss roles of each proposed temperature-sensing mechanism that affects plant development, with an emphasis on flowering time. Studies of plant ambient temperature responses are advancing rapidly, and this review provides insights for future research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of temperature perception and responses in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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18 pages, 2490 KiB

Open AccessReview

Below versus above Ground Plant Sources of Abscisic Acid (ABA) at the Heart of Tropical Forest Response to Warming

by Israel De Jesus Sampaio Filho, Kolby Jeremiah Jardine, Rosilena Conceição Azevedo De Oliveira, Bruno Oliva Gimenez, Leticia Oliveira Cobello, Luani Rosa de Oliveira Piva, Luiz Antonio Candido, Niro Higuchi and Jeffrey Quintin Chambers

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(7), 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19072023 - 12 Jul 2018

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6804

Abstract

Warming surface temperatures and increasing frequency and duration of widespread droughts threaten the health of natural forests and agricultural crops. High temperatures (HT) and intense droughts can lead to the excessive plant water loss and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in extensive physical and oxidative damage to sensitive plant components including photosynthetic membranes. ROS signaling is tightly integrated with signaling mechanisms of the potent phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), which stimulates stomatal closure leading to a reduction in transpiration and net photosynthesis, alters hydraulic conductivities, and activates defense gene expression including antioxidant systems. While generally assumed to be produced in roots and transported to shoots following drought stress, recent evidence suggests that a large fraction of plant ABA is produced in leaves via the isoprenoid pathway. Thus, through stomatal regulation and stress signaling which alters water and carbon fluxes, we highlight the fact that ABA lies at the heart of the Carbon-Water-ROS Nexus of plant response to HT and drought stress. We discuss the current state of knowledge of ABA biosynthesis, transport, and degradation and the role of ABA and other isoprenoids in the oxidative stress response. We discuss potential variations in ABA production and stomatal sensitivity among different plant functional types including isohydric/anisohydric and pioneer/climax tree species. We describe experiments that would demonstrate the possibility of a direct energetic and carbon link between leaf ABA biosynthesis and photosynthesis, and discuss the potential for a positive feedback between leaf warming and enhanced ABA production together with reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration. Finally, we propose a new modeling framework to capture these interactions. We conclude by discussing the importance of ABA in diverse tropical ecosystems through increases in the thermotolerance of photosynthesis to drought and heat stress, and the global importance of these mechanisms to carbon and water cycling under climate change scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temperature Stress and Responses in Plants)

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