Abstract
Stomata are valves on the leaf surface controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) influx for photosynthesis and water loss by transpiration. Thus, plants have to evolve elaborate mechanisms controlling stomatal aperture to allow efficient photosynthesis while avoid excessive water loss. Light is not only the energy source for photosynthesis but also an important signal regulating stomatal movement during dark-to-light transition. Our knowledge concerning blue and red light signaling and light-induced metabolite changes that contribute to stomatal opening are accumulating. This review summarizes recent advances on the signaling components that lie between the perception of blue/red light and activation of the PM H+-ATPases, and on the negative regulation of stomatal opening by red light-activated phyB signaling and ultraviolet (UV-B and UV-A) irradiation. Besides, light-regulated guard cell (GC)-specific metabolic levels, mesophyll-derived sucrose, and CO2 concentration within GCs also play dual roles in stomatal opening. Thus, light-induced stomatal opening is tightly accompanied by brake mechanisms, allowing plants to coordinate carbon gain and water loss. Knowledge on the mechanisms regulating the trade-off between stomatal opening and closure may have potential applications toward generating superior crops with improved water use efficiency (CO2 gain vs. water loss).
Highlights
Stomata are leaf epidermal structures comprised of two guard cells (GCs) surrounding a pore, with GCs flanked by two lateral subsidiary cells in some species
Accumulating evidence unequivocally demonstrates that photomorphogenesis regulators act as positive regulators of stomatal opening, while skotomorphogenesis regulators act as suppressors of stomatal opening
We summarized recent advances concerning the positive and/or negative regulation by different light signaling and light-induced changes in metabolite levels and [CO2] within GCs fine-tune stomatal aperture
Summary
Stomata are leaf epidermal structures comprised of two guard cells (GCs) surrounding a pore, with GCs flanked by two lateral subsidiary cells in some species. Increasing evidence has been accumulated concerning the coordination of light perception, signal transduction, light-energy conversion, membrane ion transport, and metabolic changes during lightinduced stomatal opening (Figure 1A; Daloso et al, 2017; Inoue and Kinoshita, 2017; Matthews et al, 2020). Those reviews only focused on the positive effects of light on stomatal opening, neglecting the perspective that light may trigger certain negative mechanism to prevent excessive stomatal opening (Figure 1B). The coordination of stomatal opening and closing by light is of great physiological significance for plants to maintain photosynthesis and transpiration trade-off
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