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Condense to sense: a new path for plant osmosensing
1New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Engineering and Molecular Design, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China.
The New Phytologist
|January 15, 2026
Summary
Plants use protein phase separation to sense and adapt to osmotic stress. This review explores how macromolecular crowding and water content act as key osmosignals, offering new insights into plant stress responses.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Biophysics
- Molecular Cell Biology
Background:
- Osmotic stress poses a significant threat to plant survival and agricultural productivity.
- Understanding plant osmosensing mechanisms is crucial for improving crop resilience.
- Recent research highlights protein phase separation as a key player in stress adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of protein phase separation in plant osmosensing.
- To investigate the impact of osmotic stress on plant meristematic cells.
- To propose novel osmosignals and their perception mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing biological and physicochemical data.
- Analysis of osmotic stress effects on plant cells.
- Discussion of phase-separation principles in a biological context.
Main Results:
- Osmotic stress influences cellular water content and macromolecular crowding.
- These changes act as critical osmosignals perceived by phase-separable proteins.
- Biomolecular condensates mediate adaptive responses to osmotic stress.
Conclusions:
- Protein phase separation is a vital mechanism for plant osmosensing and adaptation.
- Macromolecular crowding and water content are key, previously overlooked osmosignals.
- This review offers a novel perspective on plant stress biology and osmosensing.
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