An extremely low stomatal density mutant overcomes cooling limitations at supra-optimal temperature by adjusting stomatal size and leaf thickness
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
Frontiers
Materia
Supra-optimal temperature Stomatal development Photosynthesis Transpiration Heat adaptation Thermomorphogenesis Autofluorescence imaging
Date
2022-07-22Referencia bibliográfica
Pérez-Bueno ML... [et al.] (2022) An extremely low stomatal density mutant overcomes cooling limitations at supra-optimal temperature by adjusting stomatal size and leaf thickness. Front. Plant Sci. 13:919299. doi: [10.3389/fpls.2022.919299]
Sponsorship
AGL2015- 65053-R and PID2019-105362RB-I00 RTI2018-094652-B-I00 Spanish Government RTI2018-094652-B-I00 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 “ERDF A way of making Europe; PPII10- 0194-4164 and SBPLY/17/180501/000394 Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; UCLM intramural funds; EU FEDER fundsAbstract
The impact of global warming on transpiration and photosynthesis would
compromise plant fitness, impacting on crop yields and ecosystem
functioning. In this frame, we explored the performance of a set of
Arabidopsis mutants carrying partial or total loss-of-function alleles of
stomatal development genes and displaying distinct stomatal abundances.
Using microscopy and non-invasive imaging techniques on this genotype
collection, we examined anatomical leaf and stomatal traits, plant growth and
development, and physiological performance at optimal (22 C) and supraoptimal
(30 C) temperatures. All genotypes showed thermomorphogenetic
responses but no signs of heat stress. Data analysis singled out an extremely
low stomatal abundance mutant, spch-5. At 22 C, spch-5 had lower
transpiration and warmer leaves than the wild type. However, at 30 C, this
mutant developed larger stomata and thinner leaves, paralleled by a notable
cooling capacity, similar to that of the wild type. Despite their low stomatal
density (SD), spch-5 plants grown at 30 C showed no photosynthesis or
growth penalties. The behavior of spch-5 at supra-optimal temperature
exemplifies how the effect of very low stomatal numbers can be counteracted
by a combination of larger stomata and thinner leaves. Furthermore, it
provides a novel strategy for coping with high growth temperatures.