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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Real-time In Vivo Recording of Arabidopsis Calcium Signals During Insect Feeding Using a Fluorescent Biosensor
08:21

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Published on: August 15, 2017

Feeling green: mechanosensing in plants.

Gabriele B Monshausen1, Simon Gilroy

  • 1Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Trends in Cell Biology
|April 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Plants sense environmental forces like wind and soil impedance to guide development. New research shows mechanical forces can trigger new growth programs, particularly in root formation, highlighting plant mechanosensory systems.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Plants, being sessile, must adapt development to environmental cues like mechanical forces (e.g., wind, soil impedance).
  • Mechanically responsive growth in plants is a long-observed phenomenon, with recent studies emphasizing its role in initiating de novo developmental programs, such as lateral root formation.
  • Emerging molecular candidates for plant mechanosensors are being identified, often drawing parallels with systems in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacteria (Escherichia coli).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of biophysical forces in plant development, specifically focusing on de novo developmental programs.
  • To investigate the cellular basis of plant mechanosensory systems and identify molecular candidates for mechanosensors.
  • To advance the understanding of how plants perceive and respond to mechanical stimuli in their environment.

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Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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Published on: August 15, 2017

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Published on: August 6, 2019

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent research on lateral root formation and de novo development in response to mechanical stimuli.
  • Comparative analysis of plant mechanosensory mechanisms with those identified in model organisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli.
  • Identification and discussion of emerging molecular candidates for plant mechanosensors.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests that biophysical forces can indeed elicit complete de novo developmental programs in plants.
  • Recent work on lateral root formation provides strong support for the role of mechanical forces in developmental plasticity.
  • Key questions persist regarding the precise cellular mechanisms and molecular players constituting the plant mechanosensory system.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanical forces play a significant role in directing plant development, capable of initiating complex growth programs.
  • Understanding plant mechanosensation is crucial for comprehending plant adaptation to environmental conditions.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the cellular and molecular underpinnings of plant mechanosensory pathways.