Plants have microscopic small pores on the surface of the leaves, the stomata.With their help, they
The stomatal pores are surrounded by two guard cells. If the internal pressure of these cells drops, they relax and close the pores. When the pressure rises, the cells move apart and the pores expand.
The signaling pathways in these cells are so complex that it is difficult for humans to intervene directly with them.However, researchers at the Julius Maximilian University (JMU) Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, have nevertheless found a way to control stomatal movements remotely – using light pulses.
Researchers have introduced a photosensitiveswitch into the guard cells of tobacco plants. This technology has been borrowed from optogenetics. It has been used successfully in animal cells, but its use in plant cells is still in its infancy.
Scientists used a light-sensitive protein fromalgae Guillardia theta as a light switch - namely the anionic channel ACR1 from the group of channel rhodopsins. In response to the light pulses, the switch ensures that chloride flows out of the closing cells and potassium is supplied. The protective cells lose their internal pressure, relax, and the pores close within 15 minutes. "The light pulse is like a remote control of stomatal movement," the study authors note.
Exposure to light almost completely prevented the transpiration of the plants.
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