Gene

Agriculture

Ecology

Biotechnology

Biology

Cold stress

Sustainability

Animal science

Food security

Economics

Botany

Heat stress

Genetics

Crop productivity

Climate change

Thriving

Sociology

Plant growth

Natural resource economics

Social science

Developmental Cell

The dramatic temperature fluctuations spurred by climate change inhibit plant growth and threaten crop productivity. Unraveling how plants defend themselves against temperature-stress-induced cellular impairment is not only a crucial fundamental issue but is also of critical importance for agricultural sustainability and food security. Here, we review recent developments in elucidating the molecular mechanisms used by plants to sense and respond to cold and heat stress at multiple levels. We also describe the trade-off between plant growth and responses to high and low temperatures. Finally, we discuss possible strategies that could be used to engineer temperature-stress-tolerant, high-yielding crops.

Surviving and thriving: How plants perceive and respond to temperature stress