Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning

Stomata, highly specialized structures that evolved on the aerial surfaces of plants, play a crucial role in regulating hydration, mitigating the effects of abiotic stress. Stomatal lineage development involves a series of coordinated events, such as initiation, stem cell proliferation, and cell fat...

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Main Authors: Eleni Giannoutsou, Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis, Despina Samakovli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2405
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author Eleni Giannoutsou
Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis
Despina Samakovli
author_facet Eleni Giannoutsou
Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis
Despina Samakovli
author_sort Eleni Giannoutsou
collection DOAJ
description Stomata, highly specialized structures that evolved on the aerial surfaces of plants, play a crucial role in regulating hydration, mitigating the effects of abiotic stress. Stomatal lineage development involves a series of coordinated events, such as initiation, stem cell proliferation, and cell fate determination, ultimately leading to the differentiation of guard cells. While core transcriptional regulators and signaling pathways controlling stomatal cell division and fate determination have been characterized over the past twenty years, the molecular mechanisms linking stomatal development to dynamic environmental cues remain poorly understood. Therefore, stomatal development is considered an active and compelling frontier in plant biology research. On the one hand, this review aims to provide an understanding of the molecular networks governing stomatal ontogenesis, which relies on the activation and function of the transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, and FAMA; the EPF–TMM and ERECTA receptor systems; and downstream MAPK signaling. On the other hand, it synthesizes current discoveries of how hormonal signaling pathways regulate stomatal development in response to environmental changes. As the climate crisis intensifies, the understanding of the complex interplay between stress stimuli and key factors regulating stomatal development may reveal key mechanisms that enhance plant resilience under adverse environmental conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-54a3b7d984564ad5becaa9f569712b8d2025-08-20T03:36:32ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-08-011415240510.3390/plants14152405Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and PatterningEleni Giannoutsou0Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis1Despina Samakovli2Section of Botany, Biology Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, GreeceSection of Botany, Biology Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, GreeceSection of Botany, Biology Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, GreeceStomata, highly specialized structures that evolved on the aerial surfaces of plants, play a crucial role in regulating hydration, mitigating the effects of abiotic stress. Stomatal lineage development involves a series of coordinated events, such as initiation, stem cell proliferation, and cell fate determination, ultimately leading to the differentiation of guard cells. While core transcriptional regulators and signaling pathways controlling stomatal cell division and fate determination have been characterized over the past twenty years, the molecular mechanisms linking stomatal development to dynamic environmental cues remain poorly understood. Therefore, stomatal development is considered an active and compelling frontier in plant biology research. On the one hand, this review aims to provide an understanding of the molecular networks governing stomatal ontogenesis, which relies on the activation and function of the transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, and FAMA; the EPF–TMM and ERECTA receptor systems; and downstream MAPK signaling. On the other hand, it synthesizes current discoveries of how hormonal signaling pathways regulate stomatal development in response to environmental changes. As the climate crisis intensifies, the understanding of the complex interplay between stress stimuli and key factors regulating stomatal development may reveal key mechanisms that enhance plant resilience under adverse environmental conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2405stomatal developmentstomatal differentiationstomatal lineagestomatal patterninghormonal controlabiotic stress
spellingShingle Eleni Giannoutsou
Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis
Despina Samakovli
Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
Plants
stomatal development
stomatal differentiation
stomatal lineage
stomatal patterning
hormonal control
abiotic stress
title Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
title_full Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
title_fullStr Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
title_full_unstemmed Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
title_short Guardians of Water and Gas Exchange: Adaptive Dynamics of Stomatal Development and Patterning
title_sort guardians of water and gas exchange adaptive dynamics of stomatal development and patterning
topic stomatal development
stomatal differentiation
stomatal lineage
stomatal patterning
hormonal control
abiotic stress
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2405
work_keys_str_mv AT elenigiannoutsou guardiansofwaterandgasexchangeadaptivedynamicsofstomataldevelopmentandpatterning
AT ioannisdimosthenissadamakis guardiansofwaterandgasexchangeadaptivedynamicsofstomataldevelopmentandpatterning
AT despinasamakovli guardiansofwaterandgasexchangeadaptivedynamicsofstomataldevelopmentandpatterning