Temperature effect on gene expression in Col-0 and xlg2-1
Temperature stress threatens plant survival and productivity. While many studies expose Arabidopsis to prolonged heat stress (=24 hours), such conditions are unlikely in its natural environment due to nighttime temperature drops. Here, we investigated the effects of a shorter, physiologically relevant 10-hour heat exposure. xlg2 mutants were impaired in several temperature-modulated responses, including plant immunity. Our findings identify XLG2 as a key integrator of abiotic and biotic stress signals, enabling plants to maintain immunity and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. The experimental workflow was as follows: Col-0 and xlg2-1 plants were grown under normal temperature conditions (20–23°C) for four weeks. On the experiment day, the temperature was gradually increased at a rate of approximately 2°C per hour, reaching 30°C by 10 a.m. Plants were maintained at 30°C until 6 p.m., when leaf tissue was collected in three biological replicates and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Control plants were kept at 23°C throughout the experiment. Total RNA was then extracted and subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq).