The protein that feels thirst: SAM8 as a molecular water sensor
How a cell detects a drop in water potential, the physical signal of drought or salinity, has been a long-standing puzzle. Wang et al. identified SAM8, an Arabidopsis protein that reversibly condenses into nuclear droplets when cellular water becomes scarce. When water is freely available, a negatively charged disordered region surrounds SAM8 with a thick […]