How guard cells obtain energy

Sunlight triggers stomata, tiny pores on plant leaves, to open. They let in CO2 and O2 out to boost photosynthesis. The guard cells (GCs) that surround the stomatal pores play an important role in this stomatal movement process. But where do the guard cells take their energy from? Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and ETH Zurich discovered the GCs’ secret source of fuel.

This research project is a collaborative effort of two scientists and their teams, among them Swiss Plant Science Web member Dr. Diana Santelia, ETH Zurich.

Reference publication
Nature Communications 13: 652, 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28263-2
Arabidopsis guard cell chloroplasts import cytosolic ATP for starch turnover and stomatal opening.
Lim SL, Flütsch S, Liu J, Distefano L, Santelia D, Boon LL.

Source
ETH Zurich News