Stomata density determined by plant to suit environmental factors

Eric Frei · 16th February 2009, 08:22 PM

Even prior to leaf growth plants determine their stomata density needs according to signals produced by a protein.

This is a breakthrough for managing crops for climate change.

Key Link In How Plants Adapt To Climate Discovered

Quote:

Key Link In How Plants Adapt To Climate Discovered

ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2008) — How many mouths does a plant need in order to survive? The answer changes depending on climate, and some of the decisions are made long before a new leaf sprouts.

Stanford researchers have found that the formation of microscopic pores called stomata (derived from the Greek word stoma, meaning mouth) is controlled by a specific signaling pathway that blocks activity of a single protein required for stomata development.

Stomata are found on almost every terrestrial plant on Earth. Their multiple roles include releasing moisture and oxygen into the environment, providing internal air conditioning for the plant and allowing carbon dioxide to enter the leaf, where it is converted to sugar during photosynthesis. Stomata are essential for the survival of plants and, by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, play a significant role in maintaining the health of the planet.

Using Arabidopsis thaliana, a fast-growing, flowering plant used for genetic and developmental studies, Dominique Bergmann, an assistant professor of biology, and paper co-authors Gregory Lampard, a postdoctoral fellow, and Cora MacAlister, a PhD student, found a unique structural region on a protein with 10 sites that can be modified by a well-known, environmentally-controlled signaling pathway to dictate the number of stomata a plant makes.

"Scientists have said that the environment affects plant development, but no one could point to a protein that was responsible for that response," Bergmann said. "Now we know a major target inside the cell and how it is regulated."

Knowing how this process works could be used to modify crops in order to maximize their productivity under changing climate conditions. Plants might initially benefit as a result of the increased carbon supply in the atmosphere due to global warming, Bergmann said, but would also respond to those conditions by making fewer stomata. The result? Loss of cooling through stomata could lead to widespread crop failures due to the rise in temperatures associated with global warming.

"There are circumstances where you might want to disconnect the signals plants receive from the environment so they can survive," Bergmann said.

The protein, which the researchers dubbed SPEECHLESS, initiates the first of a three-step cell division process that leads to the formation of stomata in plants. Though structurally similar to SPEECHLESS, two other proteins involved in subsequent steps do not contain the same control region that is regulated by the signaling pathway. This provides a unique mechanism for the signaling pathway to control SPEECHLESS activity in a set of stem-cell-like cells and hence the ultimate development of stomata.

"If I were designing the leaf, that would be the part I would put under really tight control," Bergmann said. "It seems as if that's what plants have done."

Certain trade-offs exist for plants having too many or too few stomata. To help determine the number of stomata a newly sprouting leaf should form, the plant takes key factors about its surrounding climate—carbon dioxide levels, temperature and humidity—into account.

To perceive these factors, the plant uses the same signaling pathway used to control SPEECHLESS activity. The study identifies a critical junction that connects how a plant can sense environmental conditions with how this information is relayed to stomatal-development pathways. Thus, development of stomata can be altered "on the fly" to better enable the plant to cope with environmental conditions.

For example, a leaf contains fewer pores when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in abundance and more when it is limited. If conditions change, this multi-faceted signaling system can enable fine-tuning of stomatal development.

The findings are described in a paper published Nov. 14 in Science. The research was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, a Terman Award from Stanford University, and the Stanford Genome Training Program.

Garry Brockley · 17th February 2009, 07:33 AM

wow so they are looking at creating a drought resistant plant by finding the optimum amount of stoma to have, scientists are really starting to find the tricks plants use to survive, nice find eric

Sean Freeman · 17th February 2009, 09:04 AM

Anyone who is interested in the role and activity of stomata in Eucs should try and get hold of Derek Eamus's book Ecohydrology. Derek presented at a couple of conferences and symposia it is well worth the $'s.

Jeff Darby · 17th February 2009, 12:52 PM

I think they have been on to this type of thing for some time but they didn't know how use or manipulate it before...nature reins supreme

17th February 2009, 07:33 AM	#2
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,649	Re: Stomata density determined by plant to suit environmental factors wow so they are looking at creating a drought resistant plant by finding the optimum amount of stoma to have, scientists are really starting to find the tricks plants use to survive, nice find eric __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

17th February 2009, 09:04 AM	#3
Sean Freeman Monument Status Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Townsville Nth Queensland & Gold Coast Sth Queensland Posts: 1,985	Re: Stomata density determined by plant to suit environmental factors Anyone who is interested in the role and activity of stomata in Eucs should try and get hold of Derek Eamus's book Ecohydrology. Derek presented at a couple of conferences and symposia it is well worth the $'s.

17th February 2009, 12:52 PM	#4
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,030	Re: Stomata density determined by plant to suit environmental factors I think they have been on to this type of thing for some time but they didn't know how use or manipulate it before...nature reins supreme __________________ Member: Australian Tree Association Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard ! Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others © Jeffrey J Darby 2011

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