Recent Posts

Misregulation of MYB16 expression causes stomatal cluster formation by disrupting polarity during asymmetric cell divisions (Plant Cell)

Water loss during photosynthesis is limited by specialized plant cells such as stomata, as well as cuticle formation on the epidermis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stomata lineage is a good system in which to elucidate the interplay between biochemical signals and mechanical properties during leaf development.…

The coordination between stomata and cuticles

Yang et al. reveal the coordination between stomatal development and cuticle formation. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab260 By Shao-Li Yang and Chin-Min Kimmy Ho Background: The plant epidermis is composed of functionally specialized cells, such as the valves on the leaf surface known…

Pectate lyases prune pectin to potentiate stomatal dynamics

Chen et al. uncover the effects of a pectate lyase-like gene on cell wall mechanics and cell pressurization in guard cells. The Plant Cell (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab161  By Yintong Chen and Charles T. Anderson Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University…

Deceleration of cell cycle underpins a switch from proliferative-to-terminal division in plant stomatal lineage (bioRxiv)

Precise cell cycle control is essential for the differentiation of specialized cell types. Stomata, essential pores for gas exchange located in the epidermis, are generated via proliferative asymmetric cell division (ACD) of a transient stem cell called a meristemoid, which will give rise to a guard…

A spatiotemporal molecular switch governs plant asymmetric cell division (Nature Plants)

In multicellular organisms, stem cells produce various cell types through asymmetric cell division (ACD), which is achieved is through polarization of cell-fate determinant proteins in the ACD progenitor cells. In Arabidopsis stomatal development, an ACD progenitor cell, the meristemoid mother cell (MMC),…

How Blue and Red Light Synergistically Drive Stomatal Opening

Hosotani et al. explore the molecular mechanisms that modulate stomatal opening under different light conditions. by Sakurako Hosotani and Atsushi Takemiya (Yamaguchi University)  Background: Opening of stomatal pores is essential for photosynthetic CO2 fixation and transpiration in terrestrial…

Extrapolating physiological response to drought through step-by-step analysis of water potential

Guillaume Charrier Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France. guillaume.charrier@inrae.fr Water potential (Ψ) defines the energy required to move water between the different compartments of a closed system. Water flows passively in the direction of decreasing…

KIN10 promotes stomatal development through stabilization of the SPEECHLESS transcription factor (Nat. Commun.)

Plants communicate with the environment through stomata (i.e., pores found on leaf surfaces) and regulate gas exchange depending on internal and external cues by optimizing stomata density. Still, how plants integrate metabolic and environmental signals remain to be determined. Here, Han and colleagues…

Review: Guard cell metabolism and stomatal function (Annu. Rev. Plant Biol.)

Stomatal conductance, gs, is one of the most important and highly regulated plant processes. Lawson and Matthews review how guard cell metabolism, stomatal anatomy and patterning, and signals from the mesophyll affect gs which in turn affects plant productivity and water use efficiency. This is an excellent…