PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS at the interface of light and temperature signalling

Abstract

Plant development displays a remarkable degree of plasticity and continuously adjusts to the plant's surroundings, a process that is triggered by the perception of environmental cues such as light and temperature. Transcription factors of the PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF) family have long been established as key negative regulators of light responses; within the last decade, increasing evidence suggests that they are also core components of temperature signalling, and multiple mechanisms by which temperature regulates activity of these transcription factors have been discovered. It has become clear that these temperature responses cannot be considered in isolation, but that they occur in the context of, and are influenced by, other environmental signals. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms through which temperature affects PIF function and how these mechanisms are influenced by the light environment.