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Stomata of most plants close to preserve water when the demand for CO2 by photosynthesis is reduced. Stomatal responses are slow compared to photosynthesis, and this kinetic difference erodes assimilation and water use efficiencies under fluctuating light. Despite a deep knowledge of guard cells that regulate the stoma, efforts to enhance stomatal kinetics are limited by our understanding of its control by foliar CO2. Guided by mechanistic modelling that incorporates foliar CO2 diffusion and mesophyll photosynthesis, here we uncover a central role for endomembrane Ca 2+ stores in guard cell responsiveness to fluctuating light and CO2. Modelling predicted and experiments demonstrated a delay in Ca 2+cycling that was enhanced by endomembrane Ca 2+ -ATPase mutants, altering stomatal conductance and reducing assimilation and water use efficiency. Our findings illustrate the power of modelling to bridge the gap from the guard cell to whole-plant photosynthesis, and they demonstrate an unforeseen latency, or 'carbon memory', of guard cells that affects stomatal dynamics, photosynthesis and water use efficiency.

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Reduction in methane emissions to the Earth’s atmosphere is a critical strategy for tackling climate change. It is well established that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) associated with sulfate reduction...

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Although near-isogenic lines (NILs) can standardize genetic backgrounds among individuals, it has never been applied in parthenogenetically reproduced animals. Here, through multiple rounds of backcrossing and spinosad screening, we generated spinosad resistant NILs in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with a haplo-diploid reproduction system. The resultant F. occidentalis NIL-R strain maintained a resistance ratio over 30,000-fold, which was comparable to its parental resistant strain, Spin-R. More importantly, F. occidentalis NIL-R shared 98.90% genetic similarity with its susceptible parental strain Ivf03. By developing this toolset, we are able to segregate individual resistance and facilitate the mechanistic study of insecticide resistances in phloem-feeding arthropods, a group of devastating pest species reproducing sexually as well as asexually.