Photoreceptor PhyB Involved in Arabidopsis Temperature Perception and Heat-Tolerance Formation

• Main Authors: Junyi Song, Qijun Liu, Biru Hu, Wenjian Wu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: Arabidopsis thaliana; heat stress response; transcriptomic and morphological analysis; photoreceptor-phyB; interplay between abiotic stresses
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/6/1194

The influence of temperature on plants is essential. However, our knowledge on the intricate regulation process underlying heat stress (HS) response in plants is limited. Recently, information about thermal sensors in vivo has begun to emerge. In this study, another primary environmental stimulus, light, was verified once again to work with temperature synergistically on plants, through the modulation of numerous biological processes. With the application of transcriptomic analysis, a substantial number of heat-responsive genes were detected involved in both light- and phytohormone-mediated pathways in Arabidopsis. During this process, phytoreceptor phyB acts as a molecular switch to turn on or turn off several other genes HS response, under different light conditions. Furthermore, a morphological study showed the afunction of phyB enhanced plants thermal tolerance, confirming the important role of this phytochrome in temperature perception and response in plants. This study adds data to the picture of light and temperature signaling cross-talk in plants, which is important for the exploration of complicated HS responses or light-mediated mechanisms. Furthermore, based on its influence on Arabidopsis thermal response in both morphological and physiological levels, phyB is a photoreceptor, as revealed before, as well as an essential thermal sensor in plants.