Safeguarding Salicylic Acid-mediated Plant Immune System under Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

Global climate change is a serious threat to the optimal life cycle of plants, with associated suboptimal temperatures limiting plant health, survival, and reproduction. Previous studies have revealed that plant immune responses are compromised by elevated temperature (ET) beyond the optimal range. Production of salicylic acid (SA), which is an essential hormone in plant immunity, is vulnerable under ET. Because of its vital importance, preserving SA-mediated immunity at ET is a crucial first step to develop climate-resilient plants. Here, we show a recent advanced strategy in preserving SA-mediated immunity without growth tradeoffs at ET through controlled overexpression of CBP60g, which is a key transcription factor involved in SA biosynthesis. Our results also reveal that ET suppression of the SA pathway extends beyond the model species Arabidopsis, as demonstrated in the agriculturally important crops tomato and rapeseed. Because CBP60g is broadly conserved across the plant kingdom, this indicates that our innovative CBP60g technology may be a valuable cornerstone in designing “Dream Crops” that are resilient to the current dynamically changing climate.