Event Details

Engineering Stomatal Development, Julie Gray (University of Sheffield)

Stomata allow carbon dioxide to enter leaves for photosynthesis. They close in the dark or under drought conditions to restrict water loss, and during pathogen attack to prevent infection. The identification of signalling components regulating stomatal development has allowed us to manipulate model and crop species, and to begin to investigate what is the optimal stomatal number for current and future climate scenarios. We have produced plants with abnormally low stomatal densities by overexpressing an epidermal patterning peptide that suppresses stomatal development, or through gene-editing an antagonising peptide signal. These plants with greatly reduced stomatal density have substantially lower levels of transpiration, and enhanced drought and pathogen tolerance. They require less water to grow, yet maintain seed. For example, rice seedlings with approximately half the usual number of stomata, use only 60% of the normal amount of water, are better able to survive drought and still yield well.