Investigación chilena identifica un mecanismo molecular que impulsa la resiliencia de las plantas a la sequía

Chilean researchers have identified a molecular mechanism that drives plants' resilience to drought, providing a crucial insight into how plants balance growth and survival under water stress. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals a protein called NLP7 as a key regulator that activates growth-related genes when nitrogen is available but must be halted during hydric stress. By deactivating NLP7, plants closed their stomata earlier, lost less water, and better withstood drought conditions.

Led by Dr. José Miguel Álvarez, a researcher at the Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal of the Andrés Bello University (UNAB) and director of the Millennium Institute in Data Science and Vegetal Resilience (PhytoLearning), the study tackles a fundamental agricultural challenge as climate change intensifies. The researchers describe a molecular mechanism that helps plants reconcile conflicting environmental signals, such as the availability of nitrogen—an essential nutrient that promotes growth—and the stress of drought, which demands conservation and survival responses. While it was known that both signals influence development, the way plants integrate them at the molecular level was unclear.

The team identified a protein called NLP7 as a central regulator. When nitrogen is available, NLP7 activates genes related to growth, fostering plant development. However, under drought conditions, this same growth impulse can be detrimental, as continued growth increases water demand when the plant, instead, needs to conserve resources, according to a press release. As Álvarez explained, "By analyzing plants in which this regulator was deactivated, we observed a clear effect: the plants closed their stomata earlier (small pores on the leaves), lost less water, and tolerated drought better. This demonstrates that NLP7 not only promotes growth but also determines when it must stop to ensure survival under adverse conditions."

This study marks a significant milestone for national science, offering a deeper understanding of how plants adapt to environmental challenges and paving the way for developing strategies to enhance crop resilience in the face of climate change. The findings could also inspire new approaches to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability, ensuring food security in the long term.