Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.

Cell Signaling in Plants

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Regional Variations in Physicochemical Properties and Oil-Solid Interaction Mechanisms of Oily Sludge from Three Chinese Oilfields.

Toxics·2026

Same author

Accurate and in situ monitoring of ammonia nitrogen in high-salinity waters by a halophilic Halomonas biofilm-powered biosensor.

Environmental research·2026

Same author

Arctigenin Induces Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer Cells by Downregulating Bcl2L12 Expression.

Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening·2026

Same author

Variation of fruit phenotypic traits of Cinnamomum camphora from 11 provenances in China.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Multi-omics dissection of steviol glycoside synthesis reveals haplotype-linked specialization of UGT76G genes in Stevia rebaudiana.

The New phytologist·2026

Same author

Reference Genome Assembly of a Tetraploid Accession of the Tuber Crop Tropaeolum tuberosum.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2025

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Published on: January 20, 2023

Strigolactones optimise plant water usage by modulating vessel formation.

Jiao Zhao¹, Dongbo Shi^2,3,4, Kiara Kaeufer¹

¹Developmental Physiology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.

Nature Communications

|April 28, 2025

Summary

Strigolactone signaling inhibits wood formation, impacting plant water transport and drought response. Understanding this pathway is key to improving plant drought resistance.

More Related Videos

A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response

A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response

Published on: April 17, 2016

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Published on: June 2, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2025

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Identification of the Genes Involved in Stomatal Development via Epidermal Phenotype Scoring

Published on: January 20, 2023

A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response

A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response

Published on: April 17, 2016

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants

Published on: June 2, 2023

Area of Science:

Plant Biology
Molecular Biology
Plant Physiology

Background:

Wood formation is essential for plant growth, providing water and nutrient transport via vessel elements derived from cambium stem cells (CSCs).
The precise regulation of CSCs and their cell fate decisions in vascular development remains incompletely understood.
Vascular tissue composition critically influences plant water balance and drought tolerance.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of strigolactone (SL) signaling in regulating vessel element formation and its impact on plant water usage.
To elucidate the cell fate trajectories of CSCs and their modulation by SL signaling.
To explore the connection between vascular development, transpiration, and drought resistance.

Main Methods:

Single-cell transcriptome analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Investigating the expression patterns of SL signaling components in vascular tissues.
Assessing the effects of SL signaling modulation on vessel element formation and transpiration rates.

Main Results:

The strigolactone (SL) signaling pathway was found to negatively regulate vessel element formation.
SL signaling activity is low in developing vessels and CSCs, where it influences cell fate and drought response.
SL-dependent alterations in vessel element formation directly impact transpiration rates.

Conclusions:

Strigolactone signaling plays a crucial role in modulating vascular development and plant water usage.
The composition of water-transport tissues is vital for maintaining water balance under drought stress.
Targeting SL signaling offers a potential strategy for enhancing plant drought resistance through vascular development modulation.