Crops, like all other living things on the planet, are closely linked to the dynamics of their surrounding environment. The constant increase in temperatures caused by global warming threatens agricultural productivity, as it exposes plants to increasingly frequent and intense episodes of heat stress. In this context of climate change, the development, yield, and survival of crops are compromised, jeopardizing global food security.

This new review article, led by the CBGP research groups ‘Gene silencing in abiotic stress developmental reprogramming’ and ‘Root system development during the interaction of plants with soil microorganisms’, shows a new roadmap towards more sustainable agriculture that ensures food security in the face of climate change.

Roots, microbiome and epigenetics in the face of heat stress

The study not only reviews the current state of knowledge but also identifies disruptive elements that open new lines of research into plant adaptation to heat stress. Specifically, the study highlights the key role of roots and the microbiome in plant resilience to heat. “Traditionally, studies of heat stress have underestimated the power of these agents in heat adaptation. Our work demonstrates that roots and their microbiome are fundamental components in the face of temperature variations, much more so than previously thought,” says Elena Caro, a CBGP researcher who co-led the study.

Furthermore, the authors highlight the role of epigenetics as an emerging regulator: “Epigenetics opens a fascinating door: we can improve stress tolerance without modifying the genome, by leveraging the interaction with beneficial microorganisms”, Caro points out. The work proposes using epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation or changes in histone modification, as mechanisms that integrate environmental and microbial signals. This strategy would make it possible to modulate the response to thermal stress without altering the genetic sequence.

Finally, the study underscores the need for experimental tools that reproduce conditions closer to real-world scenarios. Specifically, it highlights the TGRooZ system, which allows for the simulation of natural soil temperature gradients, avoiding the uniform heating that distorts the root-microbiome interaction and its physiological response.

The elements identified in the review article demonstrate the need to integrate roots, microbiome, and epigenetics in plant research in the face of increasingly frequent and intense episodes of thermal stress. “The integrative approach we propose in this study -roots, microbiome and epigenetics- paves the way for more sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change,” concludes Javier Cabrera Chaves, principal investigator at CBGP who co-leads the work.