A new study published in Current Biology by Greg Gregory, a recent graduate from the Hazen lab, reveals how temperature controls the timing of stem cell wall thickening in grasses. Using the model grass Brachypodium distachyon, the Hazen lab team engineered plants with a firefly luciferase reporter that causes tissues to glow when the cellulose-producing gene CESA8 is expressed. By capturing these patterns over time, the researchers revealed where and when grasses reinforce their stems and discovered that temperature plays a major role in controlling this process.
Unexpectedly, the researchers found that temperature was not simply an on-off switch. Instead, short-term temperature changes and long-term growth conditions had opposite effects on the genes involved in thickening the cell wall. These findings uncover how daily changes in temperature shape grass development and provide a new tool for understanding how grasses regulate biomass production in changing environments.