Behind the scenes: the roles of light signaling in stomatal movements

Stomata are tiny pores on the plant leaf surface that regulate the exchange of water and gases between the plant and the external environment. They are crucial for photosynthesis, water use efficiency (WUE), and the plant’s ability to adapt to environmental changes. Stomatal movement is vital for understanding how plants adapt to environmental stress and optimize resource utilization. Changes in environmental conditions, especially the quality and intensity of light throughout the day, affect stomatal dynamics and diurnal behavior, which in turn impact photosynthetic efficiency and water-use efficiency. In this review, we summarize the biophysical principles and mechanisms of stomatal movement regulated by ion transport at the plasma membrane, vacuolar membrane and metabolic activity through persulfidation or S-nitrosylation modifications. Specifically, we focus on recent progress in the regulation of stomatal movement by different light qualities, and summarize the photochemical and biochemical events underlying photoreceptors as well as the knowledge of novel regulatory functions and signaling in the multilayer control of stomatal movement and environmental adaptation. Furthermore, as rising global temperatures and increased water needs of farming methods are expected to escalate future crop losses, we explore the potential of smart LED lighting and gene editing technology in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and water-use efficiency, leading to increased crop biomass and higher crop yields.