Essential trace metals in plant responses to heat stress

Abstract

Essential trace metals function as structural components or cofactors in many proteins involved in a wide range of physiological processes in plants. Hence, trace metal deficiency can significantly hamper plant growth and development. On the other hand, excess concentrations of trace metals can also induce phytotoxicity, for example via an enhanced production of reactive oxygen species. Besides their roles in plant growth under favourable environmental conditions, trace metals also contribute to plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Heat is a stress factor that will become more prevalent due to increasing climate change and is known to negatively affect crop yield and quality, posing a severe threat to food security for future generations. Gaining insight into heat stress responses is essential to develop strategies to optimize plant growth and quality under unfavourable temperatures. In this context, trace metals deserve particular attention as they contribute to defence responses and are important determinants of plant nutritional value. Here, we provide an overview of heat-induced effects on plant trace metal homeostasis and the involvement of trace metals and trace metal-dependent enzymes in plant responses to heat stress. Furthermore, avenues for future research on the interactions between heat stress and trace metals are discussed.

Nutritional changes in trees during drought‐induced mortality: A comprehensive meta‐analysis and a field study

“…Both Fe and Cu nutrition are key components and cofactors of many enzymes. They could play critical roles in plant protection against the oxidative damage resulting from drought and might also contribute to plant drought stress responses via their involvement in phytohormone signaling (Hendrix et al., 2022). Our results also agree with previous findings that Mn concentration in tree tissues tends to accumulate with drought‐induced mortality (González de Andrés et al., 2022; Hevia et al., 2019; Houle et al., 2007).…”

Effects of Heat Stress on Plant-Nutrient Relations: An Update on Nutrient Uptake, Transport, and Assimilation

“…While direct evidence on the effects of heat stress on individual nutrient-uptake proteins is limited, several indirect pieces of evidence address the possible effects on this factor. For example, variation in temperature from mild to high can cause alternative splicing of primary transcripts of several genes, which ultimately results in their degradation or translation to alternative protein products involved in nutrient acquisition and homeostasis [81]. Among the indirect mechanisms, here, we would like to highlight the possible role of plasma membrane H + ATPases (PM H + ATPase) due to their centrality in various physiological processes in plants [82].…”

Advances in molecular plant pathology, plant abiotic and biotic stress

“…Among them, Fe is known as the third most limiting microelements for plants due to its low solubility in alkaline and calcareous soils (Gyana and Rout, 2015). Fe is required for a variety of biological processes, such as DNA synthesis, photosynthesis, respiration, nitrogen reduction, biosynthesis and repair of nucleotide, amino acids, proteins, cofactors, and vitamins (Chhabra et al, 2020;Hendrix et al, 2022). Fe deficiency causes up-regulation of bHLH38, bHLH100 and bHLH101, and inhibits flowering in Arabidopsis .…”