Biology Succulent gene could protect crops from drought
Cereals could take cacti as a model: Researchers at the University of Bern have decoded a mechanism in a succulent that protects the plant from drying out. The mechanism could also save maize and wheat from dying of thirst in the future.
25.03.2026, 19:00
SDA
With the decoded mechanism, the plant "Kalanchoe laxiflora" regulates the absorption of carbon dioxide via the leaf surface so finely that it receives enough of it for photosynthesis without losing too much water, as the University of Bern announced on Wednesday. This enables the plant to live in a particularly water-efficient way.
Plants open their stomata to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. However, they also lose water in the process.
In their study published on Wednesday in the journal "Science Advances", the researchers focused on the function of the protein "Mute". This acts like a kind of gene switch that controls how the cells of the stomata form, the university explained. In the succulent plant "Kalanchoe laxiflora", unlike in other plants, this protein drives cell divisions that give rise to auxiliary cells that help the stomata to efficiently regulate water consumption.
Potential for agriculture
The researchers see potential for agriculture in this discovery. Once it is clear which genes and cell types enable succulent and thus water-saving plant life, breeding and biotechnology could work specifically towards introducing or enhancing similar traits in crops such as cereals, vegetables or fodder plants.
"If we understand these processes, succulent systems could be established in crops," said Heike Lindner, co-first author of the study, according to the press release. "In the long term, the lessons we learn from succulents could lead to more robust, drought-adapted varieties that make an important contribution to global food security in times of climate crisis while helping to conserve water resources."
