Integration of UV-B and temperature signalling in plants

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Light and temperature are two of the most important signals regulating plant development. Thermomorphogenesis (developmental adaptation to non-stressful changes in ambient temperature) is a rapidly expanding field in plant biology with direct applications to crop productivity, ecology and biodiversity management in a changing climate. Although interactions between red/blue photoreceptors and high temperature signalling pathways have been identified, the integration of UV-B and high temperature signalling remains poorly characterised. In sunlight-grown plants, leaf temperature increases concomitantly with UV-B absorption. In contrast to the situation in the field, the majority of plant science is carried out in glasshouses and growth cabinets, conditions in which plants are exposed to little or no UV-B. Understanding how UV-B and high temperature signals are integrated is therefore central to our understanding of plant development in natural environments.Our recently published work has identified a novel molecular mechanism through which UV-B, perceived by the UVR8 photoreceptor, inhibits high temperature-induced stem elongation. This provides plants with an important braking mechanism in bright sunlight, preventing excessive stem growth which could lead to lodging and critical reductions in biomass. The proposed programme will build on these findings to gain deeper molecular understanding of UV-B and temperature signal crosstalk. In particular, we wish to understand how UV-B regulates the transcript abundance and protein activity of the transcription factor, PIF4. Our results will have direct relevance to existing industrial collaborations aiming to reduce stem elongation in commercial horticulture, through UV-B supplementation.