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Crop genetics: plants that can take the heat Researchers in China have engineered chrysanthemum plants with increased heat tolerance. Studies in model species have shown that the plant gene CPL1 is involved in their response to many kinds of stress, including temperature, drought, and salinity. Using the CPL1 sequence from studied species as a guide, Jiafu Jian’s team at Nanjing Agricultural University isolated the gene in chrysanthemum. They found that CPL1 is expressed most strongly in leaf cells and remains in the cells’ nucleus. CPL1 expression increased in plants which were exposed to stressful conditions, especially heat. When the researchers engineered chrysanthemum with artificially increased levels of CPL1, the plants were better able to tolerate heat; by contrast, plants with reduced CPL1 levels were more sensitive to heat stress. Altogether, these findings point the way towards breeding or engineering heat-tolerant chrysanthemum varieties.