Multiple mechanisms behind plant bending

Abstract

To survive, plants constantly adapt their body shape to their environment. This often involves remarkably rapid bending of their organs such as stems, leaves and roots. Since plant cells are enclosed by stiff cell walls, they use various strategies for bending their organs, which differ from bending mechanisms of soft animal tissues and involve larger physical forces. Here we attempt to summarize and link different viewpoints on bending mechanisms: genes and signalling, mathematical modelling and biomechanics. We argue that quantifying cell growth and physical forces could open a new level in our understanding of bending and resolve some of its paradoxes.

Published in

Nature Plants
2023, volume: 9, number: 1, pages: 13-21
Publisher: NATURE PORTFOLIO

SLU Authors

• Ma, Yuan

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Bhalerao, Rishikesh P.

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Botany

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01310-y

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/120829