Researchers have created the world's first complete map of a crucial cellular system that helps plants respond to stress.
The breakthrough could transform our understanding of how living things adapt to their environment and open the door to new ways of protecting plants against climate change.
The study, led by researchers from Durham University and published in Science Advances, focuses on a process called SUMOylation.
This is a form of protein tweaking that acts like a molecular switch, fine-tuning how cells grow, divide and respond to change.
Despite its importance in plants, animals and humans, scientists have until now been unclear about how the many pieces of the SUMO system work together inside a living organism.
Using the tiny model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the team built a detailed SUMO Cell Atlas that shows, cell by cell, where and when each component of the system is active.
They discovered that different tissues within the root use SUMOylation in very specific ways, allowing the plant to mount highly tailored responses to challenges such as salty soils, drought-like conditions or attack by microbes.
One of the most striking findings is that a single enzyme, known as SCE1, appears to act as the central driver of the stress response across all conditions tested.
Other enzymes, particularly specialised proteases, show distinctive patterns depending on the type of stress and the cell type, providing further layers of control.
Study co-author Dr Miguel de Lucas of Durham University said: "Our study demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary partnerships between UK institutions combining diverse areas of expertise (Nottingham, Cambridge, Liverpool and Durham).
"The findings highlight the crucial role of protein modifications in controlling cellular plasticity and future work should explore how these findings connect with other relevant protein modifications, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination".
Beyond its scientific importance, the discovery has practical promise. By revealing which parts of the SUMO system are most critical for survival under stress, the research highlights new targets for improving the resilience of crops such as rice and wheat.
The ultimate aim is to breed or engineer plants that can better withstand heat, drought, salt or disease, helping to safeguard food supplies, and to implement biodiversity conservation approaches in a changing climate.
The full SUMO map is freely available for researchers worldwide via the University of Toronto's online resource: https://bar.utoronto.ca/SUMO_Map/
The research was supported by UKRI-BBSRC (BB/V003534/1).
Media Information
