Overexpression of barley heat stress transcription factor HvHsfA6a provide thermotolerance by thermopriming

In plants, heat shock factors (HSFs) are terminal components of heat stressresponse. Here, we functionally characterized a highly heat stress responsive HvHSFA6a in barley by developing constitutively overexpressing transgenic lines. These transgenic lines showed heat tolerant phenotype via improved photosynthesis, antioxidants and upregulation of HSPs and metabolites involved in stress amelioration and keeping thermomemory as compared to wild type plants. In this study, a highly heat-inducible HSF, HvHSFA6a was constitutively expressed in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to investigate its role in heat stress response.