Thermal adaptation in plants: understanding the dynamics of translation factors and condensates

Abstract

Plants, as sessile organisms, face the imperative challenge of adjusting growth and development with ever-changing environmental conditions. Protein synthesis is the fundamental process enabling growth of all organisms. Since elevated temperature stress poses a substantial threat to protein stability and function, immediate adjustments of protein synthesis rates are necessary to circumvent accumulation of proteotoxic stress and ensure survival. This review provides an overview about the mechanisms that control translation upon high temperature stress in plants compared to yeast and metazoa by modifying components of the translation machinery. Recent research suggests also an important role for cytoplasmic biomolecular condensates, named stress granules in these processes. The current understanding on the role of stress granules in translational regulation and on the molecular processes associated with translation that might occur within stress granules will also be discussed.