Newly identified enzymes help plants sense elevated CO2 and could lead to water-wise crops
Sunday, December 13, 2009 - 20:14
in Physics & Chemistry
Plants take in the carbon dioxide they need for photosynthesis through microscopic breathing pores in the surface of leaves. But for each molecule of the gas gained, they lose hundreds of water molecules through these same openings. The pores can tighten to save water when carbon dioxide is abundant, but scientists didn't know how that worked. Now biologists have identified protein sensors that react with CO2 to close the pores.