Betula platyphylla var. japonica (white birch) has heterophyllous leaves (i.e., early and late leaves) and is a typical pioneer tree species in northern Japan. Seedlings of white birch were exposed to ozone during two growing seasons, and measurements were carried out in the second year. Early leaves did not show an ozone-induced reduction in photosynthesis because of lower stomatal conductance...

Cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](cyt)) mediates diverse cellular responses in both animal and plant cells in response to various stimuli. Calcium oscillation amplitude and frequency control gene expression. In stomatal guard cells, [Ca(2+)](cyt) has been shown to regulate stomatal movements, and a defined window of Ca(2+) oscillation kinetic parameters encodes necessary information for long-term stom...

Plants use stomatal closure mediated by elicitors as the first step of the innate immune response to restrict the microbial entry. We present a comprehensive study of the effect of cryptogein and harpin, two elicitors from microbial pathogens of tobacco, on stomatal closure and guard cell signaling components in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant. Cryptogein as well as harpin induced stomatal ...

Stomata are pores in the plant epidermis that control carbon dioxide uptake and water loss. They are major regulators of global carbon and water cycles [1]. Several signaling components that regulate stomatal development have been characterized. These include a putative secretory peptide EPF1, LRR receptor components TMM and ER, and a peptidase SDD1 [2-4]. We have identified EPF2, a peptide rel...

Stomata are specialized epidermal structures that regulate gas (CO(2) and O(2)) and water vapor exchange between plants and their environment. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stomatal development is preceded by asymmetric cell divisions, and stomatal distribution follows the one-cell spacing rule, reflecting the coordination of cell fate specification. Stomatal development and patterning are regulated...

This paper reports a consistent and large opening response to light + CO(2)-free air in living stomata of isolated epidermal strips of Vicia faba. The response was compared to that of non-isolated stomata in leaf discs floating on water; stomatal apertures, guard cell solute potentials and starch contents were similar in the 2 situations. To obtain such stomatal behavior, it was necessary to fl...

Angiosperm and conifer tree species respond differently when exposed to elevated CO2, with angiosperms found to dynamically reduce water loss while conifers appear insensitive. Such distinct responses are likely to affect competition between these tree groups as atmospheric CO2 concentration rises. Seeking the mechanism behind this globally important phenomenon we targeted the Ca(2+)-dependent ...

Changing atmospheric CO2 levels, climate, and air humidity affect plant gas exchange that is controlled by stomata, small pores on plant leaves and stems formed by guard cells. Evolution has shaped the morphology and regulatory mechanisms governing stomatal movements to correspond to the needs of various land plant groups over the past 400 million years. Stomata close in response to the plant h...