Macromolecular crowding sensing during osmotic stress in plants

• Published in: Trends in biochemical sciences (Amsterdam. Regular ed.) Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 480 - 493
• Main Authors: Meneses-Reyes, G.I., Rodriguez-Bustos, D.L., Cuevas-Velazquez, C.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2024
• Subjects: biosensors; intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs); macromolecular crowding; osmosensors; osmotic stress; plant biology; osmotic stress; plant biology; biosensors; macromolecular crowding; osmosensors; intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs)
• ISSN: 0968-0004; 1362-4326
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.02.002

The physicochemical properties of the cellular environment impact on the biochemical and molecular functions of plant cells.Osmotic stress conditions cause severe changes in intracellular macromolecular crowding that plants must adapt to for survival.Recent work has demonstrated that plant cells have mechanisms to sense changes in macromolecular crowding, including plasma membrane and intracellular osmosensors.Tools to dynamically track changes in macromolecular crowding will further contribute to the identification of plant osmosensors. Osmotic stress conditions occur at multiple stages of plant life. Changes in water availability caused by osmotic stress induce alterations in the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane, its interaction with the cell wall, and the concentration of macromolecules in the cytoplasm. We summarize the reported players involved in the sensing mechanisms of osmotic stress in plants. We discuss how changes in macromolecular crowding are perceived intracellularly by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins. Finally, we review methods for dynamically monitoring macromolecular crowding in living cells and discuss why their implementation is required for the discovery of new plant osmosensors. Elucidating the osmosensing mechanisms will be essential for designing strategies to improve plant productivity in the face of climate change. Osmotic stress conditions occur at multiple stages of plant life. Changes in water availability caused by osmotic stress induce alterations in the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane, its interaction with the cell wall, and the concentration of macromolecules in the cytoplasm. We summarize the reported players involved in the sensing mechanisms of osmotic stress in plants. We discuss how changes in macromolecular crowding are perceived intracellularly by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins. Finally, we review methods for dynamically monitoring macromolecular crowding in living cells and discuss why their implementation is required for the discovery of new plant osmosensors. Elucidating the osmosensing mechanisms will be essential for designing strategies to improve plant productivity in the face of climate change.