ARS | Publication request: How Does Timing, Duration, and Severity of Heat Stress Influence Pollen-Pistil Interactions in Angiosperms?

Submitted to: Plant Signaling and Behavior
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 1, 2011
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Citation: Snider, J.L., Oosterhuis, D.M., Raper, R.L. 2011. How does timing, duration, and severity of heat Sstress influence pollen-pistil interactions in angiosperms? Plant Signaling and Behavior. 6(7):930-933.

Interpretive Summary: The yield crops with reproductive structures of agricultural importance is substantially more sensitive to environmental stress than plants with vegetative structures of agricultural importance, resulting in negative implications for food and fiber production under the moderate temperature increases projected to result from global climate change. Consequently, it is the goal of this review article to identify the reproductive processes and stages of reproduction that show the greatest sensitivity to high temperature exposure. Early pollen development and from pollination to fertilization are identified as especially sensitive stages to heat stress, and the biochemical changes that occur under high temperature are discussed. Identification of the most heat-sensitive stages of sexual plant reproduction is an important first step in developing strategies for mitigating the potentially negative impacts of global climate change on food and fiber production.

Technical Abstract: Reproductive development in sexual plants is substantially more sensitive to high temperature stress than vegetative development, resulting in negative implications for food and fiber production under the moderate temperature increases projected to result from global climate change. High temperature exposure either during early pollen development or during the progamic phase of pollen development will negatively impact pollen performance and reproductive output; both phases of pollen development are considered exceptionally sensitive to moderate heat stress. However, moderately elevated temperatures either before or during the progamic phase can limit fertilization by negatively impacting important pollen pistil interactions required for successful pollen tube growth toward the ovules. This mini-review identifies the impacts heat stress on pollen-pistil interactions and sexual reproduction in angiosperms. A special emphasis is placed on the biochemical response of the pistil to moderately high temperature and the resultant influence on in vivo pollen performance and fertilization.