Carbon dioxide sensor in plants that controls water loss identified

15-12-2022 | Crop solutions | News

The newly discovered carbo dioxide sensor is vital for water management and holds implications for climate-induced drought and agricultural crop management. - Photo: Canva

Scientists identified a carbon dioxide sensor in plants, key for controlling water evaporation, photosynthesis and plant growth. The discovery holds implications for agricultural crop management.

Scientists at the University of California San Diego recently achieved a breakthrough in identifying the long-sought CO2 sensor in Arabidopsis plants and unraveled its functioning parts.

Carbon dioxide sensor is vital for water management

Since the stomatal pores control plant water loss, the sensor is vital for water management and holds implications for climate-induced drought, wildfires and agricultural crop management.

The scientists say for each carbon dioxide molecule taken in, a typical plant loses some 200 to 500 water molecules to evaporation through the stomatal pores.

According to School of Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor Julian Schroeder the sensor is extremely relevant because it recognizes when CO2 concentrations go up and determines how much water a plant loses as carbon dioxide is taken in.

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Improved water use efficiency of crops

The discovery could lead to innovations in efficient water use by plants as CO2 levels rise. “The water use efficiency of crops could be improved – more crop per drop,” Professor Schroeder said.

Sensor operates through two plant proteins

A surprise from the new research was the composition of the sensor. Rather than tracing it to a single source or protein, the researchers found that the sensor operates through two plant proteins working together. These were identified as 1) a “high leaf temperature1” protein kinase known as HT1 and 2) specific members of a mitogen-activated protein kinase family, or “MAP” kinase enzyme, known as MPK4 and MPK12.
“Our findings reveal that plants sense changes in CO₂ concentration by the reversible interaction of two proteins to regulate stomatal movements,” said San Diego project scientist Yohei Takahashi. “This could provide us a new plant engineering and chemical target towards efficient plant water use and CO₂ uptake from the atmosphere.”