High temperature acclimation through PIF4 signaling

Ambient temperature has direct consequences for plant functioning. Many plant species are able to adjust reproductive timing and development to optimize fitness to changes in ambient temperatures. Understanding the molecular networks of how plants cope with high temperatures is essential to counteract the effects of global warming and to secure future crop productivity. Several recent papers reported that Arabidopsis thaliana responses to changing light conditions and high temperature, and their underlying signaling mechanisms are highly similar and involve the basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4). In this opinion article we discuss the mechanisms of PIF4-mediated acclimation to increased ambient temperature with focus on timing of flowering and morphological acclimation.