Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) catalyses the hydrolysis of phospholipids into lysophospholipids and free fatty acids. Physiological studies have indicated that PLA(2) is involved in stomatal movement. However, genetic evidence of a role of PLA(2) in guard cell signalling has not yet been reported. To identify PLA(2) gene(s) that is (are) involved in light-induced stomatal opening, stomatal movemen...

Blue light (BL) induces stomatal opening through the activation of H+-ATPases with subsequent ion accumulation in guard cells. In most plant species, red light (RL) enhances BL-dependent stomatal opening. This RL effect is attributable to the chloroplasts of guard cell, the only cells in the epidermis possessing this organelle. To clarify the role of chloroplasts in stomatal regulation, we inve...

The epidermis of the aerial part of land plants is pierced by pores through which plants perform gas exchange with environment. The guard cells (GCs), the specialized cells that surround the pore, have the capacity to sense diverse environmental and endogenous stimuli and integrate them into a single output which is the regulation of the stomatal pore width. The stomatal pore size is modulated ...

Both photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (gs ) respond to changing irradiance, yet stomatal responses are an order of magnitude slower than photosynthesis, resulting in noncoordination between A and gs in dynamic light environments. Infrared gas exchange analysis was used to examine the temporal responses and coordination of A and gs to a step increase and decrease in light in a range o...

Guard cell (GC) pairs regulate plant gas exchange and water loss by controlling the size of the stomate, the opening between them. Not an open and shut case, the regulation of stomatal size responds to a complex interplay of signals that transduce multiple environmental cues, including humidity, CO2 levels, abiotic stresses, pathogens, and light. These signals are integrated through the action ...

Local adaptation along steep environmental gradients likely contributes to plant diversity in the Cape Region of South Africa, yet existing analyses of trait divergence are limited to static measurements of functional traits rather than trajectories of individual development. We explore whether five taxa of evergreen shrubs (Protea section Exsertae) differ in their developmental trajectories an...

Woody crops such as poplars (Populus) can contribute to meet the increasing energy demand of a growing human population and can therefore enhance the security of energy supply. Using energy from biomass increases ecological sustainability as biomass is considered to play a pivotal role in abating climate change. Because areas for establishing poplar plantations are often confined to marginal si...

Rapid stomatal closure induced by changes in the environment, such as elevation of CO2, reduction of air humidity, darkness, and pulses of the air pollutant ozone (O3), involves the SLOW ANION CHANNEL1 (SLAC1). SLAC1 is activated by OPEN STOMATA1 (OST1) and Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases. OST1 activation is controlled through abscisic acid (ABA)-induced inhibition of type 2 protein phosphatas...

A clear understanding of hydraulic regulation in cultivated plants is crucial for addressing challenges to forest water cycling due to climate changes in low subtropical China. Experiments were conducted to determine the hydrologic balance of a Eucalyptus urophylla plantation in response to periodic drought. Trees displayed lower stomatal conductance (GS) and leaf water potentials (ΨL) during t...