As global temperatures continue to rise, extreme heat waves pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity. Studies estimate that for every 1°C increase above pre-industrial levels, crop yields decline by approximately 6–8%. The ability of plants to withstand heat stress is therefore critical for ensuring food security, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms have largely remained elusive.
Now, however, a new study led by Prof. Xu Cao's team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds light on an adaptive strategy that may be pivotal in developing heat-resilient crop varieties amid escalating climate change. Specifically, the study reveals a novel mechanism by which tomato plants actively mitigate heat stress and stabilize yield through the developmental reprogramming of shoot apical stem cells.
The research was published in Developmental Cell on April 2.
Stem cells in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) are essential for aerial morphogenesis—the process by which plants develop above-ground structures—and directly influence crop yield. However, heat stress can cause abnormal differentiation or even necrosis of these stem cells, resulting in developmental defects, plant mortality, and significant yield losses. Understanding how SAM stem cells adapt to heat stress is therefore critical for advancing cultivation techniques and breeding more resilient crop varieties.
Read more at Phys.org