Correction to: A reversible light- and genotype-dependent acquired thermotolerance response protects the potato plant from damage due to excessive temperature

Ethylene Response Factor LlERF110 Mediates Heat Stress Response via Regulation of LlHsfA3A Expression and Interaction with LlHsfA2 in Lilies (Lilium longiflorum)

Heat stress seriously affects the quality of cut lily flowers. The ethylene response factors (ERFs) participate in heat stress response in many plants. In this study, heat treatment increased the production of ethylene in lily leaves, and exogenous ethylene treatment enhanced the heat resistance of lilies. LlERF110, an important transcription factor in the ethylene signaling pathway, was found in the high-temperature transcriptome. The coding region of LlERF110 (969 bp) encodes 322 amino acids and LlERF110 contains an AP2/ERF typical domain belonging to the ERF subfamily group X. LlERF110 was induced by ethylene and was expressed constitutively in all tissues. LlERF110 is localized in the nucleus and has transactivation activity. Virus-induced gene silencing of LlERF110 in lilies reduced the basal thermotolerance phenotypes and significantly decreased the expression of genes involved in the HSF-HSP pathway, such as LlHsfA2, LlHsfA3A, and LlHsfA5, which may activate other heat stress response genes; and LlHsp17.6 and LlHsp22, which may protect proteins under heat stress. LlERF110 could directly bind to the promoter of LlHsfA3A and activate its expression according to the yeast one hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays. LlERF110 interacts with LlHsfA2 in the nucleus according to BiFC and the yeast two-hybrid assays. In conclusion, these results indicate that LlERF110 plays an important role in the basal thermotolerance of lilies via regulation of the HSF-HSP pathway, which could be the junction of the heat stress response pathway and the ethylene signaling pathway.

Toward the Design of Potato Tolerant to Abiotic Stress

Potato is a major global crop that has an important role to play in food security, reducing poverty and improving human nutrition. Productivity in potato however is limited in many environments by its sensitivity to abiotic stresses such as elevated temperature, drought, frost, and salinity. In this chapter we focus on the effects of elevated temperature on potato yields as high temperature is the most important uncontrollable factor affecting growth and yield of potato. We describe some of the physiological impacts of elevated temperature and review recent findings about response mechanisms. We describe genetic approaches that could be used to identify allelic variants of genes that may be useful to breed for increased climate resilience, an approach that could be deployed with recent advances in potato breeding.

Acid invertase confers heat tolerance in rice plants by maintaining energy homoeostasis of spikelets

Heat stress impairs both pollen germination and pollen tube elongation, resulting in pollination failure caused by energy imbalance. Invertase plays a critical role in the maintenance of energy homoeostasis; however, few studies investigated this during heat stress. Two rice cultivars with different heat tolerance, namely, TLY83 (heat tolerant) and LLY722 (heat susceptible), were subjected to heat stress. At anthesis, heat stress significantly decreased spikelet fertility, accompanied by notable reductions in pollen germination on stigma and pollen tube elongation in ovule, especially in LLY722. Acid invertase (INV), rather than sucrose synthase, contributed to sucrose metabolism, which explains the different tolerances of both cultivars. Under heat stress, larger enhancements in NAD(H), ATP, and antioxidant capacity were found in TLY83 compared with LLY722, whereas a sharp reduction in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity was found in the former compared with the latter. Importantly, exogenous INV, 3-aminobenzamide (a PARP inhibitor), sucrose, glucose, and fructose significantly increased spikelet fertility under heat stress, where INV activity was enhanced and PARP activity was inhibited. Therefore, INV can balance the energy production and consumption to provide sufficient energy for pollen germination and pollen tube growth under heat stress.