Plant communicationsJul 29, 2026

LNK1/2 help control daily temperature tolerance by managing oxidative balance and triggering heat stress feedback to keep temperature stable

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Aug 3, 2026

Abstract

LNK1/2 are key regulators of thermotolerance, dependent on their transcriptional coactivator activity.

The plant circadian clock is crucial for synchronizing physiological processes with environmental changes.
Heat stress significantly limits stable crop yields, highlighting the importance of understanding thermotolerance mechanisms.
LNK1/2 play a predominant role in regulating thermotolerance through their activity in the circadian clock.
MYB-like transcription factors RVE4/8 contribute partially to thermotolerance, while CCA1/LHY have an antagonistic effect.
LNK1/2 regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, promoting moderate hydrogen peroxide accumulation that enhances heat resistance.
HSFA8 is activated in a manner highly dependent on LNK1/2 and contributes to maintaining circadian stability.

Simplified

The plant circadian clock synchronizes physiological processes with daily and seasonal environmental changes, ensuring homeostasis and enhancing adaptability. Heat stress has become one of the major limiting factors on stable crop yields, but the mechanism by which the circadian clock gates thermotolerance is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that LNK1/2 play a predominant role in circadian gating thermotolerance and is strictly dependent on its transcriptional coactivator activity. The MYB-like transcription factors RVE4/8, components of the LNK-associated daytime complex, contribute partially to this thermotolerance, whereas CCA1/LHY act antagonistically. Mechanistically, LNK1/2 promote thermotolerance by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, facilitating moderate H₂O₂ accumulation that enhances heat resistance. Furthermore, we identify HSFA8 whose activation is highly dependent on LNK1/2. In turn, HSFA8 contributes to circadian stability via a feedback mechanism that fine-tunes temperature compensation. Together, these findings establish LNK1/2 as key regulators of circadian timing, ROS signaling, and HSFA8-dependent feedback, coordinating thermotolerance while preserving circadian homeostasis.

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LNK1/2 help control daily temperature tolerance by managing oxidative balance and triggering heat stress feedback to keep temperature stable

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