Thermosensor OsTT3.1 enhances rice thermotolerance by degrading OsGSK2 to reduce OsHsfB2c phosphorylation and nuclear translocation.

OsTT3.1 promotes rice thermotolerance by degrading OsGSK2, reducing OsHsfB2c phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, thereby activating heat stress responses.

• Why it matters: Understanding this regulatory pathway addresses the need to improve rice resilience to heat stress, which severely limits crop productivity under rising global temperatures.
• What they did: Researchers identified interactions among OsTT3.1, OsGSK2, and OsHsfB2c through molecular and genetic analyses, including mutant and overexpression studies, revealing their roles in thermotolerance regulation.
• The result: The degradation of OsGSK2 by OsTT3.1 relieves OsHsfB2c repression, enabling rapid activation of heat-responsive genes, which enhances rice's ability to withstand high-temperature stress.