Mechanisms of heat stress tolerance in plants: A physiological approach

Abstract

High temperature (HT) stress is a major environmental stress that limits plant growth, metabolism, and productivity worldwide. Plant responses to HT vary with the degree and duration of HT and the plant type. HT is now a major concern for crop production and approaches for sustaining high yields of crop plants under HT stress are important agricultural goals. Plants possess a number of adaptive, avoidance, or acclimation mechanisms to cope with HT situations. Plant survival under HT stress depends on the ability to perceive the HT stimulus, generate and transmit the signal, and initiate appropriate physiological and biochemical changes. HT-induced gene expression and metabolite synthesis also substantially improve tolerance. The physiological responses to heat stress are active research areas. This article reviews the recent findings on responses, adaptation, and tolerance to HT in plants.