Greater aperture counteracts effects of reduced stomatal density on water use efficiency: a case study on sugarcane and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Stomata regulate CO2 and water vapor exchange between leaves and the atmosphere. Stomata are a target for engineering to improve crop intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). One example is by expressing genes that lower stomatal density (SD) and reduce stomatal conductance (gsw). However, the quantitative relationship between reduced SD, gsw, and the mechanisms underlying it is poorly understood. We addressed this knowledge gap using low-SD sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) as a case study alongside a meta-analysis of data from 10 species. Transgenic expression of EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR 2 from Sorghum bicolor (SbEPF2) in sugarcane reduced SD by 26-38% but did not affect gsw compared with the wild type. Further, no changes occurred in stomatal complex size or proxies for photosynthetic

SUBMITTER: Lunn D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11565199 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature