A Force of Nature: Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanoperception in Plants

Overview

Journal J Exp Bot

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Biology

Date 2013 Aug 6

PMID 23913953

Citations 76

Authors

Gabriele B Monshausen

Elizabeth S Haswell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The ability to sense and respond to a wide variety of mechanical stimuli-gravity, touch, osmotic pressure, or the resistance of the cell wall-is a critical feature of every plant cell, whether or not it is specialized for mechanotransduction. Mechanoperceptive events are an essential part of plant life, required for normal growth and development at the cell, tissue, and whole-plant level and for the proper response to an array of biotic and abiotic stresses. One current challenge for plant mechanobiologists is to link these physiological responses to specific mechanoreceptors and signal transduction pathways. Here, we describe recent progress in the identification and characterization of two classes of putative mechanoreceptors, ion channels and receptor-like kinases. We also discuss how the secondary messenger Ca(2+) operates at the centre of many of these mechanical signal transduction pathways.

Citing Articles

Mechanical stimulation in plants: molecular insights, morphological adaptations, and agricultural applications in monocots.

Hansen A, Gladala-Kostarz A, Hindhaugh R, Doonan J, Bosch M BMC Biol. 2025; 23(1):58.

PMID: 40001152 PMC: 11863685. DOI: 10.1186/s12915-025-02157-3.

Changes induced by parental neighboring touch in the clonal plant depend on the light environment.

Xing L, Quan J, Zhang S, Liu X, Bai H, Yue M Front Plant Sci. 2024; 15:1358924.

PMID: 38831907 PMC: 11146198. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1358924.

Expression responses of genes in tomato and potato to environmental mechanical forces: focus on behavior in response to rainfall, wind and touch.

Hidvegi N, Dobranszki J, Toth B, Gulyas A Plant Signal Behav. 2024; 19(1):2360296.

PMID: 38808631 PMC: 11141476. DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2360296.

Shoring up the base: the development and regulation of cortical sclerenchyma in grass nodal roots.

McCahill I, Khahani B, Probert C, Flockhart E, Abushal L, Gregory G bioRxiv. 2024; .

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Deciphering the role of mechanosensitive channels in plant root biology: perception, signaling, and adaptive responses.

Tyagi A, Ali S, Park S, Bae H Planta. 2023; 258(6):105.

PMID: 37878056 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04261-6.

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