Root meristem growth factor (RGF) peptide signaling as a molecular bridge between root development and non-lethal thermal stress adaptation

Roots adapt to temperature ranges that restrict growth but are not lethal. Although lethal heat shock and moderately high temperatures have been studied in detail, the effects of non-lethal high temperatures on root development remain largely unknown.

We defined 31°C as a non-lethal thermal stress in Arabidopsis thaliana and examined its impact on root growth using phenotypic analyses and developmental-zone-specific transcriptomics.

Compared to growth at 22°C, at 31°C, primary root growth, meristem size, and superoxide (O₂ ⁻ ) accumulation were reduced, and the distribution of the meristem master regulator PLETHORA2 (PLT2) became restricted. Transcriptome analysis revealed a strong downregulation of RGFs , RGFRs , and PLT2, rather than activation of heat shock-inducible genes.

These gene mutants were more sensitive to non-lethal thermal stress. In contrast, RGF treatment recovered heat-stress-induced defects. Beyond alleviating the stress in the primary root meristem, RGF treatments promoted lateral root elongation under prolonged non-lethal thermal stress, resulting in a more complex root system.

These results indicate that the RGF-RGF receptor-PLT2 pathway plays a central role in root adaptation to non-lethal heat stress rather than the canonical heat shock response pathway and suggest that manipulating RGF signaling could enhance root thermotolerance and crop resilience under elevated temperatures.