carbon-sink
A carbon sink is a natural reservoir—such as a forest, soil, or ocean—that absorbs and stores more atmospheric carbon dioxide than it releases. Plants are central to this process, as they capture CO2 through photosynthesis and convert it into biomass and root-stored organic compounds, making them key players in regulating Earth's carbon cycle. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind plant carbon uptake and storage helps researchers develop strategies to enhance natural carbon sequestration and mitigate climate change.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-22
Scientists discovered that two families of cell-surface signaling proteins — the ERECTA and PXY receptor kinase families — physically join forces to regulate the cambium, the thin stem-cell layer that makes wood. This explains how trees and other vascular plants control wood production, placing these protein partnerships at the center of xylem formation and carbon storage.
PXY and ER family receptor kinase proteins physically bind each other, forming cross-family complexes in the vascular cambium stem-cell niche
Constitutively activating PXY signaling caused dramatic cambial defects only when ER or ERL2 was present, proving the two families are functionally interdependent
Combined loss-of-function mutations across both receptor kinase families produced more severe cambial disruption than mutations in either family alone, revealing additive genetic interaction
