Cell geometry and mechanical stress coordinate stomatal division orientation
- 1Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, Bateman Street, Cambridge, UK
- 2Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, Bateman Street, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Cambridge, UK
- 3Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, Bateman Street, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: [email protected]
Abstract
Cell division in plants often follows the shortest path, producing two equal daughter cells. However, some developmental contexts deviate from this rule. The early stomatal lineage in dicots consists of a series of asymmetric divisions. Identification of polarized proteins has improved our understanding of how these divisions are guided, yet the factors determining the orientation of the final symmetric division remain unclear. Here, we use a system in which every cell adopts a stomatal fate to reveal their alignment. Time-lapse imaging on both sides of cotyledons reveals differences in growth dynamics and allows us to compare the stomatal orientation relative to the organ axis, the cell major axis, and the principal directions of growth. Finite element modeling identifies differential growth-derived stress patterns as a potential factor coordinating stomatal division at the organ scale. Stomatal divisions preferentially align with cell geometry, while mechanical perturbations reveal that stress can influence their orientation.
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BibTeX
@article{serra2026cell,
title = {{Cell geometry and mechanical stress coordinate stomatal division orientation}},
author = {Léo Serra and Euan Thomas Smithers and Lucy Bentall and Martin O. Lenz and Sarah Robinson},
journal = {Cell Reports},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117366},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117366},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cell geometry and mechanical stress coordinate stomatal division orientation
AU - Léo Serra
AU - Euan Thomas Smithers
AU - Lucy Bentall
AU - Martin O. Lenz
AU - Sarah Robinson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/26
JO - Cell Reports
DO - 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117366
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117366
AB - Cell division in plants often follows the shortest path, producing two equal daughter cells. However, some developmental contexts deviate from this rule. The early stomatal lineage in dicots consists of a series of asymmetric divisions. Identification of polarized proteins has improved our understanding of how these divisions are guided, yet the factors determining the orientation of the final symmetric division remain unclear. Here, we use a system in which every cell adopts a stomatal fate to reveal their alignment. Time-lapse imaging on both sides of cotyledons reveals differences in growth dynamics and allows us to compare the stomatal orientation relative to the organ axis, the cell major axis, and the principal directions of growth. Finite element modeling identifies differential growth-derived stress patterns as a potential factor coordinating stomatal division at the organ scale. Stomatal divisions preferentially align with cell geometry, while mechanical perturbations reveal that stress can influence their orientation.
SN - 2211-1247
SN - 2639-1856
ER -