Franks and Farquhar (2007) and beyond: the influence of guard and subsidiary cell biomechanics on stomatal function
Abstract
Stomata are the gatekeepers to leaf gas exchange and as such are essential for CO2 uptake for photosynthesis, water loss for evaporative cooling, and ultimately plant growth and productivity. Research has long focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern stomatal aperture adjustments, in particular how changes in turgor pressure in guard cells (GCs) are achieved and how these cause the reversible cell shape distortion that leads to pore opening and closing. Here we discuss the immense impact the paper by Franks and Farquhar (2007) has had on this research field, both in the past and more recently, by stimulating new angles of exploration of stomatal mechanics. As new techniques have emerged, the impact of the mechanical advantage of epidermal/subsidiary cells and how this is overcome by GCs has inspired novel studies into the importance of subsidiary to stomatal function, the effect of different cell shapes (dumbbell- vs kidney-shaped) on stomatal kinetics, the significance of cell geometries and cell complexes, as well as the underlying biochemical cell wall composition responsible for GC deformation. While many questions remain unanswered, we summarize the take-home messages from the key literature on stomatal biomechanics.
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BibTeX
@article{lawson2026franks,
title = {{Franks and Farquhar (2007) and beyond: the influence of guard and subsidiary cell biomechanics on stomatal function}},
author = {Tracy Lawson and Michelle Facette and Scott A M McAdam and Tanja A Hofmann},
journal = {Plant Physiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/plphys/kiag724},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag724},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Franks and Farquhar (2007) and beyond: the influence of guard and subsidiary cell biomechanics on stomatal function
AU - Tracy Lawson
AU - Michelle Facette
AU - Scott A M McAdam
AU - Tanja A Hofmann
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/10
JO - Plant Physiology
DO - 10.1093/plphys/kiag724
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag724
AB - Stomata are the gatekeepers to leaf gas exchange and as such are essential for CO2 uptake for photosynthesis, water loss for evaporative cooling, and ultimately plant growth and productivity. Research has long focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern stomatal aperture adjustments, in particular how changes in turgor pressure in guard cells (GCs) are achieved and how these cause the reversible cell shape distortion that leads to pore opening and closing. Here we discuss the immense impact the paper by Franks and Farquhar (2007) has had on this research field, both in the past and more recently, by stimulating new angles of exploration of stomatal mechanics. As new techniques have emerged, the impact of the mechanical advantage of epidermal/subsidiary cells and how this is overcome by GCs has inspired novel studies into the importance of subsidiary to stomatal function, the effect of different cell shapes (dumbbell- vs kidney-shaped) on stomatal kinetics, the significance of cell geometries and cell complexes, as well as the underlying biochemical cell wall composition responsible for GC deformation. While many questions remain unanswered, we summarize the take-home messages from the key literature on stomatal biomechanics.
SN - 0032-0889
SN - 1532-2548
ER -