Light and Temperature Signal Crosstalk in Plant Development

Light and temperature are two of the most important environmental stimuli regulating plant development. Recent advances have suggested considerable interaction between these signalling pathways at the molecular level. Studies of both flowering and germination have shown the phytochrome family of plant photoreceptors to display altered functional hierarchies at different growth temperatures. The existence of common signalling components in both light and temperature sensing has additionally been proposed. More recently, light quality signals have been shown to regulate plant-freezing tolerance in an ambient temperature-dependent manner. Together, these data suggest that complex crosstalk between light-signalling and temperature-signalling pathways is fundamental to the growth and development of plants in natural environments.