Light tells succulents when to release their stored acid
Plant Signaling
If you've ever had a Kalanchoë or other succulent drop flower buds or develop mysterious leaf damage, this research is chasing the exact light conditions that trigger those problems.
Succulents like Kalanchoë, cacti, and orchids use a clever trick called CAM photosynthesis: they open their pores at night to grab carbon dioxide and store it as malic acid, then use stored sunlight energy during the day to release that acid and finish photosynthesis with their pores shut, saving water. This study looks at exactly how daylight controls that acid release process, since when it goes wrong, growers see leaf damage and flower buds falling off. By testing different light intensities, day lengths, and light colors on Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, researchers hope to figure out how to fine-tune light exposure to keep these plants healthier.
Key Findings
CAM plants store carbon overnight as malic acid in vacuoles and release it during the day for photosynthesis behind closed stomata, a strategy that conserves water
The exact mechanism linking light availability to daytime malate and proton release remains unknown, despite being tied to horticultural problems like leaf necrosis and flower bud abortion
Researchers will combine physiology, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and computational flux modeling on Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi to map this process and test whether targeted light treatments can steer it
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists are studying how light controls the daytime release of stored malic acid in CAM plants like Kalanchoë, a process linked to problems like leaf damage and flower bud loss in ornamental crops. Understanding this could help growers use light treatments to keep these water-saving plants healthier.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Lichtregulatie van de verwerking van malaat en protonen tijdens de dag in mesofylcellen van CAM-planten
Many economically important ornamentals such as cacti, bromeliads, orchids, Kalanchoë, Euphorbia, Yucca, Sansevieria employ the photosynthetic Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) pathway. A striking...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Kalanchoe, , is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. A Kalanchoe species was one of the first plants to be sent into space, sent on a resupply to the Soviet Salyut 6 space station in 1979.