Ambient Temperature-Responsive Mechanisms Coordinate Regulation of Flowering Time

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.