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Updated: Jan 16, 2026
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Combining Histochemical Staining and Image Analysis to Quantify Starch in the Ovary Primordia of Sweet Cherry during Winter Dormancy
Published on: March 20, 2019
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Variable temperature processing by plasmodesmata regulates robust bud dormancy release
Shashank K Pandey1, Tatiana S Moraes2, Aswin Nair1
1Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SwedishUniversity of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden.
Nature Communications
|January 14, 2026
Summary
Perennial plants use warm temperature spikes to time dormancy release, not just cold duration. This process involves plasmodesmata regulation, crucial for adapting to changing seasons.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Environmental Biology
- Molecular Botany
Background:
- Dormancy is vital for perennial plants in cold climates, preventing premature bud break.
- Timing dormancy release accurately under fluctuating winter temperatures is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how perennial plants time dormancy release in response to environmental cues.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying dormancy release timing.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of bud break timing in response to temperature fluctuations.
- Investigating the role of tree ortholog of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT1) and gibberellic acid (GA) pathway.
- Examining plasmodesmata regulation and callose levels.
Main Results:
- Warm spikes, not just cold duration, signal winter progression for dormancy release.
- FT1 regulates plasmodesmata by suppressing callose levels.
- Warm spikes inhibit FT1 and GA pathway, preventing plasmodesmata opening and bud break.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic plasmodesmata regulation is key for buds to process variable temperatures.
- This mechanism allows trees to adapt robustly to seasonal changes.
- Bud break heterogeneity, amplified by temperature fluctuations, aids bet hedging.
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