A review concerning the role of mechanical stress in the vascular cambium and its closest surroundings in the formation of vessel elements of secondary xylem in woody plants was published in Biological Reviews (IF = 12.820). So far growth of vessel elements and determination of the course of structures responsible for the transport of water and minerals in plants (vessels) were usually explained by the action of auxin (IAA). However, the latest studies provide strong evidence that the distribution of PIN proteins responsible for polar auxin transport – one of the most important plant hormones – depends on the mechanical stress present in the tissues/cells of plant organisms. In this paper various aspects of the considered phenomenon were discussed. The authors proposed an approach integrating biomechanical factor with the commonly acknowledged hormonal regulation, which will allow for a better understanding of mechanism of vessel formation, and thus further progress in the research on water transport system in numerous plant species.

Miodek A., Gizińska A., Włoch W., Kojs P. 2021. What do we know about growth of vessel elements of secondary xylem in woody plants? Biological Reviews. DOI: 10.1111/brv.12785.