ABSTRACT
Calcium is not only an essential macroelement but also an important signaling molecule in plants. Calcium signaling, centering on calcium ion (Ca2+) and calmodulin (CaM), exerts a crucial role in the whole life cycle of plants, from seed germination to plant senescence, and even in the adaptation of plants to abiotic and biotic stresses. Among stresses, heat stress is a major factor that influences metabolism, growth, development, and productivity of plants. The response and adaptation of plants to heat stress is an intricate cellular, physiological, biochemical, and molecular event, implicated in a complex calcium-centered signaling network. In this network, calcium signaling is thought to be a hub in the adaptive responses of plants to heat stress. In view of current progress on crosstalk between calcium signaling and other signaling molecules, this chapter summarizes the role of the Ca2+-mediated signaling network in mediating plant responses to heat stress. The objective of this chapter is to provide in-depth understanding of interaction between calcium signaling and other signaling molecules in the development of heat tolerance in plants, driving cell signal transduction pathways in plant stress biology.
