Molecular underpinnings of plant stress granule dynamics in response to high-temperature stress

Abstract

With the escalating impacts of global climate change, including more frequent episodes of extreme high temperatures, understanding the molecular mechanisms that enable plants to tolerate heat stress (HS) has become a critical research focus. A newly identified transcriptional regulatory pathway involving the SICKLE (SIC) protein and the mRNA splicing regulator DBR1 (RNA DEBRANCHING ENZYME 1) in Arabidopsis highlights the dynamic regulation of lariat intronic RNAs (lariRNAs) and their role in thermotolerance. Additionally, post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms regulating stress granules (SGs) in response to HS underscore the proteasome's essential function in maintaining SG homeostasis. These findings advance our understanding of plant HS responses and offer promising targets for developing crops with enhanced heat resilience.