Sogang University Professor Lee Byung-ha's research team clarifies plants' high-temperature adaptation mechanism - Paper published in The Plant Cell

A research team led by Professor Lee Byung-ha from the Department of Life Science at Sogang University has uncovered how plants manage to maintain stable gene expression and continue growing even in high-temperature environments. Their findings, published online on July 3 in the international journal The Plant Cell, offer critical insights into plant adaptation to heat stress.

The study explains that for organisms to produce proteins, genetic information from DNA must first be transcribed into RNA. This RNA then undergoes a process called 'RNA splicing,' where unnecessary segments are removed, and essential parts are joined. The Sogang University team identified that two proteins, STA1 and DOT2, play a vital role in this process within the cell nucleus. They are essential for forming 'nuclear speckles,' small structures crucial for accurate RNA splicing.

Researchers observed that under high temperatures, the binding between STA1 and DOT2 weakens. This disruption leads to impaired nuclear speckle formation and an increase in RNA splicing errors. Consequently, these errors negatively impact plant growth and their ability to adapt to heat stress, explaining a key molecular mechanism behind plant vulnerability to extreme heat.

This research is expected to be a significant resource for future efforts in developing crops that can better withstand high temperatures. By understanding the molecular basis of plant thermotolerance, scientists can work towards creating more resilient agricultural varieties, which is increasingly important in the context of climate change and rising global temperatures. The study was also recognized by the Biological Research Information Center (BRIC) as one of its 'People of Korea Who Shine' papers.