Genetic coupling of hydathode formation with leaf morphogenesis maintains water homeostasis
Abstract
Hydathodes are specialized leaf structures present across vascular plants that allow guttation by connecting the xylem to the external environment through epithem tissue and permanently open water pores. However, the genetic mechanisms controlling their formation and physiological roles remain poorly understood. Here, we identify a genetic regulatory network that controls hydathode formation and links this process to leaf morphogenesis. This network converges on auxin signaling to coordinate the formation of the three hydathode cell types. We further show that epithem development requires sustained cell proliferation with limited endoreduplication. Analysis of hydathode mutants demonstrates that hydathode size and number are required to prevent reversible leaf flooding. Together, these findings establish a genetic framework for hydathode morphogenesis and uncover a central role for hydathodes in maintaining leaf water homeostasis under fluctuating environmental conditions.
Related
- Snurportin-1 maintains muscle niche integrity and myogenic progenitor homeostasis
- Continuous Large Maf Activity Maintains Fast Myofiber Identity and Multicellular Homeostasis in Adult Skeletal Muscle
- TMEM55B Maintains Lysosomal Homeostasis and Promotes ER–Lysosome Calcium Signaling
- A tonic PDGFA-dependent niche organizer maintains alveolar homeostasis
- The bHLH121-CAT2 module maintains root tip redox homeostasis to confer salt tolerance additively with the SOS pathway in Arabidopsis
BibTeX
@misc{savourat2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic coupling of hydathode formation with leaf morphogenesis maintains water homeostasis}},
author = {Pauline Savourat and Anne-Sophie Sarthou and Panagiotis Papadopoulos and Damien Vasselon and Aurore Olympio and Néro Borrega and Stéphanie Pateyron and Christine Paysant Le Roux and Cléa Quentin and Jean-Marc Routaboul and Bernard Genty and Laurent D. Noël and Nathalie Leonhardt and Patrick Laufs},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.64898/2026.07.23.740248},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05761631v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Genetic coupling of hydathode formation with leaf morphogenesis maintains water homeostasis
AU - Pauline Savourat
AU - Anne-Sophie Sarthou
AU - Panagiotis Papadopoulos
AU - Damien Vasselon
AU - Aurore Olympio
AU - Néro Borrega
AU - Stéphanie Pateyron
AU - Christine Paysant Le Roux
AU - Cléa Quentin
AU - Jean-Marc Routaboul
AU - Bernard Genty
AU - Laurent D. Noël
AU - Nathalie Leonhardt
AU - Patrick Laufs
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/23
PB - HAL
DO - 10.64898/2026.07.23.740248
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05761631v1
AB - Hydathodes are specialized leaf structures present across vascular plants that allow guttation by connecting the xylem to the external environment through epithem tissue and permanently open water pores. However, the genetic mechanisms controlling their formation and physiological roles remain poorly understood. Here, we identify a genetic regulatory network that controls hydathode formation and links this process to leaf morphogenesis. This network converges on auxin signaling to coordinate the formation of the three hydathode cell types. We further show that epithem development requires sustained cell proliferation with limited endoreduplication. Analysis of hydathode mutants demonstrates that hydathode size and number are required to prevent reversible leaf flooding. Together, these findings establish a genetic framework for hydathode morphogenesis and uncover a central role for hydathodes in maintaining leaf water homeostasis under fluctuating environmental conditions.
ER -