Salicylic acid and heat acclimation pretreatment protects Laminaria japonica sporophyte(Phaeophyceae) from heat stress

Possible mediatory roles of heat acclimation and salicylic acid in protecting the sporophyte of marine macroalga Laminaria japonica(Phaeophyceae) from heat stress were studied.Heat stress resulted in oxidative injury in the kelp blades.Under heat stress significant accumulation of hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) and malonaldehyde(MDA),a membrane lipid peroxidation product,and a drastic decrease in chlorophyll a content were recorded.Activity of the enzymatic antioxidant system was drastically affected by heat stress.The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) was significantly increased while peroxidase(POD),catalase(CAT) and glutathione peroxidase(GPX) were greatly inhibited and,simultaneously,phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was activated while polyphenol oxidase(PPO) was inhibited.Both heat acclimation pretreatment and exogenous application of salicylic acid alleviated oxidative damage in kelp blades.Blades receiving heat acclimation pretreatment and exogenous salicylic acid prior to heat stress exhibited a reduced increase in H_2O_2 and MDA content,and a lower reduction in chlorophyll a content.Pretreatment with heat acclimation and salicylic acid elevated activities of SOD,POD,CAT,GPX and PPO.Considering these results collectively,we speculate that the inhibition of antioxidant enzymes is a possible cause of the heat-stress-induced oxidative stress in L.japonica,and enhanced thermotolerance may be associated,at least in part,with the elevated activity of the enzymatic antioxidant system.

Metabolic Changes during Acclimation and Hardening to Heat and Drought Stress in <i>Zaprionus indianus</i>

The survival ability of insects can be limited with the changes in the levels of energy metabolites under stressful conditions but only a few studies have considered the plastic effects of heat and related climatic factors relevant to tropical habitats. The objectives of our study were to determine whether adults of Zaprionus indianus are capable of rapid heat hardening (RHH) and rapid desiccation hardening (RDH) and to compare its benefits with heat acclimation (HA) and desiccation acclimation (DA). Adult flies reared under season-specific simulated conditions were subjected to 38°C for RHH and 32°C for HA, while 5% relative humidity (RH) was maintained for RDH and 40% RH for DA. Stress-induced effects of heat and desiccation on the levels of five metabolites namely cuticular lipids (CL), total body lipids (TBL), protein, proline, and carbohydrates were then estimated by biochemical method. Different duration of heat hardening and acclimation led to more accumulation of CL whereas different durations of desiccation hardening and acclimation revealed less accumulation. In contrast, there was an accumulation of carbohydrates and protein under desiccation hardening and acclimation whereas there was the utilization of carbohydrates and protein under heat hardening and acclimation. However, mixed results were observed on the level of proline and TBL under both heat and desiccation stress. These stress-triggered changes in the levels of various metabolites suggest a possible link between heat and desiccation tolerance. Hence, these compensatory changes in the level of various metabolites also suggest possible energetic homeostasis in Z. indianus living under harsh climatic conditions of heat and drought in tropical regions.

Methods for improving thermal tolerance in military personnel prior to deployment

Acute exposure to heat, such as that experienced by people arriving into a hotter or more humid environment, can compromise physical and cognitive performance as well as health. In military contexts heat stress is exacerbated by the combination of protective clothing, carried loads, and unique activity profiles, making them susceptible to heat illnesses. As the operational environment is dynamic and unpredictable, strategies to minimize the effects of heat should be planned and conducted prior to deployment. This review explores how heat acclimation(HA) prior to deployment may attenuate the effects of heat by initiating physiological and behavioural adaptations to more efficiently and effectively protect thermal homeostasis, thereby improving performance and reducing heat illness risk. HA usually requires access to heat chamber facilities and takes weeks to conduct, which can often make it impractical and infeasible, especially if there are other training requirements and expectations. Recent research in athletic populations has produced protocols that are more feasible and accessible by reducing the time taken to induce adaptations, as well as exploring new methods such as passive HA. These protocols use shorter HA periods or minimise additional training requirements respectively, while still invoking key physiological adaptations, such as lowered core temperature, reduced heart rate and increased sweat rate at a given intensity. For deployments of special units at short notice(< 1 day) it might be optimal to use heat re-acclimation to maintain an elevated baseline of heat tolerance for long periods in anticipation of such an event. Methods practical for military groups are yet to be fully understood, therefore further investigation into the effectiveness of HA methods is required to establish the most effective and feasible approach to implement them within military groups.

The molecular basis of heat stress responses in plants

Global warming impacts crop production and threatens food security.Elevated temperatures are sensed by different cell components.Temperature increases are classified as either mild warm temperatures or excessively hot temperatures,which are perceived by distinct signaling pathways in plants.Warm temperatures induce thermomorphogenesis,while high-temperature stress triggers heat acclimation and has destructive effects on plant growth and development.In this review,we systematically summarize the heat-responsive genetic networks in Arabidopsis and crop plants based on recent studies.In addition,we highlight the strategies used to improve grain yield under heat stress from a source-sink perspective.We also discuss the remaining issues regarding the characteristics of thermosensors and the urgency required to explore the basis of acclimation under multifactorial stress combination.

Effects of Temperature Acclimation Pretreatment on the Ultrastructure of Mesophyll Cells in Young Grape Plants （Vitis vinifera L. cv. Jingxiu） Under Cross-Temperature Stresses

Leaves from annual young grape plants （Vitis vinifera L. cv. Jingxiu） were used as experimental materials. The ultrastructural characteristics of mesophyll cells in chilling-treated plants after heat acclimation （HA） and in heat-treated plants after cold acclimation （CA） were observed and compared using transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that slight injury appeared in the ultrastructure of mesophyll cells after either HA （38℃ for 10 h） or CA （8℃ for 2.5 d）, but the tolerance to subsequent extreme temperature stress was remarkably improved by HA or CA pretreatment. The increases in membrane permeability and malondialdehyde concentration under chilling （0℃） or heat （45℃） stress were markedly inhibited by HA or CA pretreatment. The mesophyll cells of plants not pretreated with HA were markedly damaged following chilling stress. The chloroplasts appeared irregular in shape, the arrangement of the stroma lamellae was disordered, and no starch granules were present. The cristae of the mitochondria were disrupted and became empty. The nucleus became irregular in shape and the nuclear membrane was digested. In contrast, the mesophyll cells of HA-pretreated plants maintained an intact ultrastructure under chilling stress. The mesophyll cells of control plants were also severely damaged under heat stress. The chloroplast became round in shape, the stroma lamellae became swollen, and the contents of vacuoles formed clumps. In the case of mitochondria of control plants subjected to heat stress, the outer envelope was digested and the cristae were disrupted and became many small vesicles. Compared with cellular organelles in control plants, those in CA plant cells always maintained an integrated state during whole heat stress, except for the chloroplasts, which became round in shape after 10 h heat stress. From these data, we suggest that the stability of mesophyll cells under chilling stress can be increased by HA pretreatment. Similarly, CA pretreatment can protect chloroplasts, mitochondria, and the nucleus against subsequent heat stress; thus, the thermoresistance of grape seedlings was improved. The results obtained in the present study are the first, to our knowledge, to offered cytological evidence of cross-adaptation to temperature stresses in grape plants.