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How coupling resources and development ensures whole-plant homeostasis
Joe Earle1, Lucila Salvatore2,3, Bas van den Herik3
1Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Journal of Experimental Botany
|October 17, 2025
Summary
Plants coordinate resource allocation for survival. This involves linking nutrient signaling with development to ensure resilience and adaptation to changing environments.
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology and developmental biology
- Ecology and environmental science
Background:
- Multicellular organisms require coordinated resource management for stability.
- Individual cellular adaptations are insufficient; systems-level coordination is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore feedback mechanisms in plant resource acquisition and allocation.
- To understand how developmental programs match resource availability.
- To investigate how morphology impacts plant resilience and climate adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Examining feedback loops in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus acquisition.
- Analyzing developmental programs like organogenesis, root foraging, and branching.
- Assessing the role of root and shoot architecture in resource management.
Main Results:
- Feedback mechanisms are key to mediating local resource acquisition.
- Developmental plasticity allows plants to match resource availability across space and time.
- Morphological efficiency minimizes costs and sustains growth demands.
Conclusions:
- Plant resilience and climate adaptation depend on the interplay between resource availability, developmental pace, and morphology.
- Coupled feedback between resource uptake and morphological efficiency is vital for homeostasis.
- Integrated signaling pathways and developmental mechanisms enable plants to thrive amid fluctuating conditions.
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