How does light affect the heat stress response in Arabidopsis?

  • Eunje Kim

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Light and temperature are two of the most important environmental factors regulating plant development. Although heat stress has been well studied, little is known about the interaction between light and temperature. In this study, we performed phenotypic assays comparing seedling responses to heat under light and dark conditions. Seedlings exposed to heat in the dark show lower survival rates than seedlings stressed in the light. To identify transcriptional changes underlying light-dependent heat tolerance, we used RNA-sequencing. The light-dependent heat stress responses involved a plethora of genes which could be potential candidate genes for light-induced heat tolerance, including transcription factors (bHLH) and genes commonly associated with biotic stress. By using the latest high-throughput phenotyping facility, we found that the light-dependent heat tolerance is reflected more on the maintenance of photosynthetic capacity, rather than leaf temperature. These results provide insights into how light increases heat stress tolerance in Arabidopsis seedlings and suggest its underlying mechanisms.
Date of AwardNov 2018
Original languageEnglish (US)
Awarding Institution
  • Biological, Environmental Sciences and Engineering
SupervisorMark Tester (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Heat stress
  • Arabidopsis
  • RNA-sequencing
  • Photosynthesis

Cite this

'