Key mechanism discovered in plant adaptation to drought and high temperatures

The Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (CSIC-UPV) is collaborating on an international study that reveals how plants regulate their stomata in the face of opposing environmental stress conditions.

An international study led by a team of researchers, including members of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (IBMCP) , a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) , has identified a sophisticated molecular mechanism that allows plants to adapt to contradictory environmental stress situations, such as the combination of drought and high temperatures.

The work, published in the scientific journal Nature Plants , analyses how stomata – small pores located on the surface of leaves – open and close depending on environmental conditions . These pores allow the plant to release heat when they open, but also retain water when they close in case of drought. This balance is crucial for the survival of plants in challenging environments.

Understanding this mechanism opens the door to the development of crops that are more resistant to the extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change , representing an important step towards more sustainable agriculture.