ДЄntunes WC, de Menezes DD, Pinheiro DP et al (2017) Guard cell-specific down-regulation of the sucrose transporter SUT1 leads to improved water use efficiency and reveals the interplay between carbohydrate metabolism and K + accumulation in the regulation of stomatal opening. ДЄndo E, Kinoshita T (2018) Red light-induced phosphorylation of plasma membrane H +-ATPase in stomatal guard cells. ДЄmaral MN, Auler PA, Rossatto T et al (2020) Long-term somatic memory of salinity unveiled from physiological, biochemical and epigenetic responses in two contrasting rice genotypes. We further highlight the possible interplay among the mechanisms that regulate stress memory and stomatal speediness and how they can be used to improve WUE and/or stress tolerance in plants.ДЄghaKouchak A, Chiang F, Huning LS et al (2020) Climate extremes and compound hazards in a warming world. We explored recently published guard cell transcriptomics data from plants under drought and discussed their implication for plant stress acclimation and metabolic engineer toward plant drought tolerance improvement. Here, we highlight these recent findings and provide an updated overview regarding the intrinsic complexity of guard cell structure and the signalling networks related to the perception and response to different environmental signals. Furthermore, recent results indicate that guard cell gene expression precedes those observed in mesophyll cells when plants are subjected to drought and that guard cell is an important hub for stress memory. Guard cell is thus crucial for the perception of environmental signals and a master regulator of water use efficiency (WUE).

Whilst the stomatal opening enables the influx of CO 2 for photosynthesis, stomatal closure is important to reduce water loss during drought stress. These cells integrate endogenous and environmental signals to regulate the opening of the stomatal pore, mainly found at leaf epidermis. Plants can rapidly respond to changes in environmental cues and memorise stress conditions, as a consequence of their modularity and the presence of highly complex cell types, such as the guard cells. Despite being sessile, plants do it with maestri.

The capacity to perceive and memorise adverse environmental conditions is pivotal for the survival of any biological system.

Speediness syn