A developmentally scheduled inhibitory polarity circuit centers the stomatal pore

Receptor-like kinase MUSTACHES (MUS)–restricted OCTOPUS-LIKE2 (OPL2) polarity in guard cells centers stomatal pore position, with rewiring able to eliminate, shift, or redirect the pore.

• Why it matters: Stomata show conserved, coordinated left-right asymmetry in pore placement and wall modification, but the molecular logic linking polarity to where the pore forms was unclear.
• What they did: The study mapped how spatiotemporal restriction of MUS positions OPL2, where OPL2 peaks align with a microtubule focus, then tested causality by experimentally rewiring the MUS–OPL2 module.
• The result: Altering the MUS–OPL2 polarity circuit in guard cells profoundly changes stomatal morphogenesis, indicating a stomata-specific integration of polarity and centering programs.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.