Changing temperatures are known to affect plant-microbe interactions; however, the molecular mechanism involved in plant disease resistance is not well understood. Here, we report the effects of a moderate change in temperature on plant immune response through Ca2+/calmodulin-mediated signaling. At 30 °C, Pst DC3000 triggered significantly weak and relatively slow Ca2+ influx in plant cells, as compared to that at 18 °C. Increased temperature contributed to an enhanced disease susceptibility in plants; the enhanced disease susceptibility is the result of the compromised stomatal closure induced by pathogens at high temperature. A Ca2+ receptor, AtSR1, contributes to the decreased plant immunity at high temperatures and the calmodulin-binding domain (CaMBD) is required for its function. Furthermore, both salicylic acid biosynthesis (ICS) and salicylic acid receptor (NPR1) are involved in this process. In addition to stomatal control, AtSR1 is involved in high temperature-compromised apoplastic immune response through the salicylic acid signaling pathway. The qRT-PCR data revealed that AtSR1 contributed to increased temperatures-mediated susceptible immune response by regulating SA-related genes in atsr1, such as PR1, ICS1, NPR1, as well as EDS1. Our results indicate that Ca2+ signaling has broad effects on the molecular interplay between changing temperatures as well as plant defense during plant-pathogen interactions.
Keywords: AtSR1/CAMTA3; SA signaling; calcium signaling; stomatal immunity; temperature.