Scientists discovered that a protein called HY5 acts as a master switch helping thale cress plants survive the dangerous combination of intense sunlight and heat — the kind of double stress that damages crops on the hottest summer days.
1
Plants with extra HY5 maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency and lower membrane damage under combined high light and heat stress compared to normal plants.
2
HY5-deficient mutants showed impaired non-photochemical quenching (a photoprotective mechanism) and greater oxidative damage, correlating with reduced Fv/Fm — a standard measure of photosystem health.
3
HY5 coordinates both the stability of Photosystem II proteins (D1 and D2) and the stress hormone signals ABA and JA, linking light sensing directly to hormonal defense networks.
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