title: Molecular Evolution of Grass Stomata.
abstract: Grasses began to diversify in the late Cretaceous Period and now dominate more than one third of global land area, including three-quarters of agricultural land. We hypothesize that their success is likely attributed to the evolution of highly responsive stomata capable of maximizing productivity in rapidly changing environments. Grass stomata harness the active turgor control mechanisms present in stomata of more ancient plant lineages, maximizing several morphological and developmental features to ensure rapid responses to environmental inputs. The evolutionary development of grass stomata appears to have been a gradual progression. Therefore, understanding the complex structures, developmental events, regulatory networks, and combinations of ion transporters necessary to drive rapid stomatal movement may inform future efforts towards breeding new crop varieties.
authors: College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: z.chen@westernsydney.edu.au.
authors: Zhong-Hua
authors: ZH
authors: Chen
authors: College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors: Guang
authors: G
authors: Chen
authors: College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Dai
authors: Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Yizhou
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Hills
authors: School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
authors: Yong-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Ruan
authors: College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors: Guoping
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Franks
authors: Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel.
authors: Eviatar
authors: E
authors: Nevo
authors: Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
authors: Michael R
authors: MR
authors: Blatt
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: comparative genomics; guard cell modeling; ion transporters; stomatal development; stomatal evolution