MSL10 and the Prey: A high-sensitivity mechanosensor in Venus flytrap
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants are sessile and must sense and adapt to environmental stresses, including mechanical forces from wind or physical contact. Mechanosensitive genes, such as those in the Mechanosensitive channel of Small conductance-Like (MSL) family, prevent cell rupture by acting as osmotic safety valves under…
How plant vampires strike: Mechanosensitive channels in haustorium formation
Plant Science Research WeeklyWhile the existence of vampires is up for debate, their botanical counterparts are very real - and much easier to find. Parasitic plants, such as Cuscuta campestris, wrap around their hosts, draining them of water and nutrients, and causing serious economic losses in agriculture. The first critical step…