Loss or duplication of key regulatory genes coincides with environmental adaptation of the stomatal complex in Nymphaea colorata and Kalanchoe laxiflora

Abstract

How plants breathe in different environments Researchers in China have shown how plants adapted to different environments by altering the structure of pores used for gas and water exchange, known as stomata. Shang Wu of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University searched for stomatal development genes in the genomes of a range of plants, including a drought-tolerant species and a water lily, which diverged from other flowering plants early in their evolution. While the function of most stomatal genes has been conserved, some genes were absent in the water lily and some were doubled in the drought-resistant species. Analysis of the morphology of developing stomata in the two species revealed changes in the number and organization of cell divisions. Overall, the findings improve our understanding of how the evolution of stomata and may help guide the breeding or engineering improved varieties.