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Published on: July 24, 2014
Flowers under pressure: ins and outs of turgor regulation in development
Léna Beauzamy1, Naomi Nakayama2, Arezki Boudaoud3
1Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, INRA, CNRS, ENS de Lyon, UCBL Lyon I, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France Laboratoire Joliot-Curie, CNRS, ENS de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Background:
Turgor pressure is an essential feature of plants; however, whereas its physiological importance is unequivocally recognized, its relevance to development is often reduced to a role in cell elongation.
Scope:
This review surveys the roles of turgor in development, the molecular mechanisms of turgor regulation and the methods used to measure turgor and related quantities, while also covering the basic concepts associated with water potential and water flow in plants. Three key processes in flower development are then considered more specifically: flower opening, anther dehiscence and pollen tube growth.
Conclusions:
Many molecular determinants of turgor and its regulation have been characterized, while a number of methods are now available to quantify water potential, turgor and hydraulic conductivity. Data on flower opening, anther dehiscence and lateral root emergence suggest that turgor needs to be finely tuned during development, both spatially and temporally. It is anticipated that a combination of biological experiments and physical measurements will reinforce the existing data and reveal unexpected roles of turgor in development.
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