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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits
Published on: October 12, 2015
CO2 Sensing and CO2 Regulation of Stomatal Conductance: Advances and Open Questions
Cawas B Engineer1, Mimi Hashimoto-Sugimoto2, Juntaro Negi2
1Division of Biological Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology Section and Center for Food & Fuel for the 21st Century, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA.
Abstract:
Guard cells form epidermal stomatal gas-exchange valves in plants and regulate the aperture of stomatal pores in response to changes in the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration ([CO2]) in leaves. Moreover, the development of stomata is repressed by elevated CO2 in diverse plant species. Evidence suggests that plants can sense [CO2] changes via guard cells and via mesophyll tissues in mediating stomatal movements. We review new discoveries and open questions on mechanisms mediating CO2-regulated stomatal movements and CO2 modulation of stomatal development, which together function in the CO2 regulation of stomatal conductance and gas exchange in plants. Research in this area is timely in light of the necessity of selecting and developing crop cultivars that perform better in a shifting climate.
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