Heat stress is one of the most significant uncontrollable abiotic factors that affect potato plant growth, development, and tuber yield. While short-term acute heat stress experiments have produced considerable insights into the effects of heat stress on potato, there is a lack of information on the mechanisms involved in heat stress adaptation. Our recent studies demonstrate that under prolonged heat stress (35/25°C, day/night, for 3 weeks), newly developed leaves can maintain health and adapt to heat stress by modifying anatomy and physiology. Whereas, the leaves developed prior to heat stress (20/15 °C, day/night) on the same plant suffer (chloroses, senescence) from heat stress. We compared the gene expression in the youngest, fully expanded terminal leaflets developed under control and heat stress in two genotypes, Solanum tuberosum L. ‘Atlantic’ (ATL) and Solanum microdontum Bitter (MCD). As expected, several heat shock proteins (HSP) genes were upregulated in both genotypes. In addition, several desaturase genes were downregulated suggesting an increase in the saturation of membrane lipids may provide membrane integrity under heat stress. Our parallel physiological and anatomical studies have shown that adaptation to heat stress involves increase in stomatal density, lowering of leaf temperature via increased transpiration and maintenance of photosynthesis. Consistent with these results we found significantly regulated genes involved in ABA biosynthesis, photosynthesis, cell growth, expansion and patterning. These data offer insight into potential genes involved in heat tolerance in potato that may be useful in breeding for heat-tolerant potato varieties.
