Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, created a new nanosensor called SNACS that enables the monitoring of SnRK2 protein kinase activity in live plant cells.
The image depicts three Arabidopsis leaf surface pores, or stomata, expressing the new SNACS stress nanosensor developed by UC San Diego plant biologists. Source: Schroeder Lab, UC San DiegoSnRK2 is a kinases-sucrose-non-fermenting-1 related protein kinase-2s. It is an essential protein because it is known to be activated in response to drought conditions. It triggers the protective closure of small pores on leaf structures, also called a stoma. The stoma allows carbon dioxide to enter leaves and plants lost 90% of its water via evaporation through the stoma. The pore opening and closing optimizes growth and drought tolerance in response to environmental changes.
SNACs allows researchers to analyze such changes in real-time. According to researchers, analyzing the processes underlying kinases in plants can help demonstrate how environments are being altered by climate change.
Currently, the team is using SNACs to provide evidence that can answer questions that surround SnRK2 and the interactions with carbon dioxide. They found that abscisic acid, a drought stress hormone, activates kinases. Elevated carbon dioxide does not do this. This research benefits environmental stress responses in plant research.
A paper on this research was published in eLife.
