Abstract text: Vacuoles carry out a plethora of functions, including protein storage and degradation, pH homeostasis, pathogen defence, as well as cell size determination. During plant cell development, vacuolar occupancy dynamically increases and can reach up to 90% of the cellular volume in elongating cells, enabling rapid cell expansion with minimal de novo synthesis of cytosolic material.
The receptor-like kinase FERONIA (FER) acts as a central hub for sensing external signals, including the cell wall status. As a mechanosensor, FER transduces mechanical signals from the cell wall to regulate cellular expansion. In our recent work (Rößling et al., 2024), we shed light on the nature of the FER-mediated signals at the cell wall and plasma membrane. However, how these signals are transmitted intracellularly to modulate vacuolar morphology remains unclear.
To address this question, we are investigating how FER-dependent signals are relayed from the plasma membrane to the vacuole. Using a proteomic approach, we identified a novel FER interactor with dual localisation at the plasma and vacuolar membrane. Our findings provide new insights into how FER integrates external cues to control vacuolar size and cellular expansion.