Genetius

The study performed stage‑specific transcriptomic profiling of pollen development under normal and heat stress conditions, revealing that most heat‑responsive genes are unique to each developmental stage, with the bi‑cellular stage showing the greatest number of differentially expressed genes. Promoter analysis indicated stage‑specific enrichment of heat shock elements, and knockdown of HSP90 via RNAi reduced pollen germination and caused nuclear defects, especially under heat stress, linking HSP90 to ABA signaling and DNA metabolism during pollen development.

The study shows that excess energy absorption during heat waves and drought leads to high leaf temperatures, with non‑photochemical quenching (NPQ) dissipating much of this energy as heat. Inhibiting photosynthetic electron transport and partially reducing NPQ unexpectedly lowered foliar temperature, highlighting a coordinated regulation among electron transport, NPQ, and transpiration. The authors suggest that this mechanism could significantly affect forest‑scale heat emission, a factor not currently included in climate models.