COP1 is a temperature-responsive switch in Arabidopsis.

COP1 in Arabidopsis thaliana acts as a temperature-dependent switch, activating at warm temperatures via a conformational change that enables substrate docking and degradation.

• Why it matters: Plant temperature sensing is linked to light and circadian pathways, but the molecular mechanism translating temperature into COP1 activity has been unclear.
• What they did: The study shows COP1 activation depends on a warm-induced conformational change, where a Val-Pro (VP) motif blocks substrate docking at low temperatures and detaches at warmer temperatures.
• The result: Detachment of the VP motif at warmer temperatures allows client proteins to bind and be degraded, and modifying VP binding shifts the temperature range of plant responses.

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