Xu Hang, Zuo Yi, Wei Jian, Wang Lei
Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Biology (Basel). 2023 Oct 24;12(11):1364. doi: 10.3390/biology12111364.
Plants have evolved a circadian clock to adapt to ever-changing diel and seasonal environmental conditions. The circadian clock is generally considered an internal system that has evolved to adapt to cyclic environmental cues, especially diel light and temperature changes, which is essential for higher plants as they are sessile organisms. This system receives environmental signals as input pathways which are integrated by circadian core oscillators to synchronize numerous output pathways, such as photosynthesis, the abiotic stress response, metabolism, and development. Extreme temperatures, salinity, and drought stresses cause huge crop losses worldwide, imposing severe pressure on areas of agricultural land. In crop production, the circadian system plays a significant role in determining flowering time and responding to external abiotic stresses. Extensive studies over the last two decades have revealed that the circadian clock can help balance the tradeoff between crop yield-related agronomic traits and adaptation to stress. Herein, we focus on summarizing how the circadian clock coordinates abiotic stress responses and crop yield. We also propose that there might be an urgent need to better utilize circadian biology in the future design of crop breeding to achieve high yields under stress conditions.
植物已经进化出一种昼夜节律时钟，以适应不断变化的昼夜和季节性环境条件。昼夜节律时钟通常被认为是一种内部系统，它已经进化到能够适应周期性的环境线索，特别是昼夜光照和温度变化，这对高等植物至关重要，因为它们是固着生物。这个系统接收环境信号作为输入途径，这些信号由昼夜节律核心振荡器整合，以同步许多输出途径，如光合作用、非生物胁迫反应、新陈代谢和发育。极端温度、盐度和干旱胁迫在全球范围内导致巨大的作物损失，给农业用地带来巨大压力。在作物生产中，昼夜节律系统在决定开花时间和应对外部非生物胁迫方面发挥着重要作用。过去二十年的广泛研究表明，昼夜节律时钟有助于平衡作物产量相关农艺性状与适应胁迫之间的权衡。在此，我们重点总结昼夜节律时钟如何协调非生物胁迫反应和作物产量。我们还提出，在未来的作物育种设计中，可能迫切需要更好地利用昼夜节律生物学，以在胁迫条件下实现高产。
