Discovery of enzymes that control pores on leaf surfaces could lead to drought-resistant crops

A research team at the Ruhr University Bochum Department of Molecular and Cellular Botany, led by Professor Christopher Grefen, has uncovered how plants form the tiny pores on their leaves responsible for gas exchange and water regulation. The scientists identified the two lipid-modifying enzymes GELP80 and GELP100 as deciding factors in the formation of functional stomata.