{"id":56254,"date":"2026-03-19T05:20:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/?post_type=disclosure&#038;p=56254"},"modified":"2026-03-19T09:02:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:02:52","slug":"how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought","status":"publish","type":"disclosure","link":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo resisten las plantas sedientas durante una sequ\u00eda?"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style: none; padding-left: -20px !important; margin-left: -20px !important;\"><strong>Lo m\u00e1s destacado<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Cient\u00edficos de Salk presentan un atlas de expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica de hojas de plantas a lo largo de su desarrollo, comparando condiciones normales frente a sequ\u00eda. <\/li>\n<li>El atlas revela que la sequ\u00eda acelera el envejecimiento de las hojas; identifica un gen que ayuda a las hojas a seguir creciendo en condiciones de estr\u00e9s <\/li>\n<li>El estudio despeja el camino para cultivos m\u00e1s tolerantes a la sequ\u00eda, lo que proteger\u00eda los rendimientos y reducir\u00eda las p\u00e9rdidas de los agricultores durante sequ\u00edas leves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>LA JOLLA\u2014Estados Unidos y M\u00e9xico atraviesan una megasequ\u00eda hist\u00f3rica desde principios de siglo. Durante m\u00e1s de 25 a\u00f1os, el suroeste de Estados Unidos ha enfrentado las graves consecuencias sociales y econ\u00f3micas de esta megasequ\u00eda, incluida una p\u00e9rdida r\u00e9cord de 1,100 millones de d\u00f3lares en agricultura en California solo en 2021 ($). Con estas condiciones persistiendo, \u00bfc\u00f3mo podemos ayudar a los cultivos a resistir la sequ\u00eda minimizando la p\u00e9rdida de rendimiento?<\/p>\n<p>Los cient\u00edficos del Instituto Salk analizaron cerca de un mill\u00f3n de c\u00e9lulas de las hojas de <em>Arabidopsis thaliana<\/em>, una peque\u00f1a planta con flores que sirve como modelo de laboratorio para cultivos importantes como el ma\u00edz, el trigo y el arroz. El equipo midi\u00f3 los cambios en la expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica de estas c\u00e9lulas en distintos niveles de sequ\u00eda y etapas de desarrollo foliar, y recopil\u00f3 los datos en un atlas de acceso p\u00fablico.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_51615\"  class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"305\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-51615 size-col-md-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-458x305.jpg\" alt=\"Joseph Ecker (left) and Joseph Swift (right) debuted a high-resolution atlas that shows how droughts affect plant cells.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-458x305.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-147x98.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-553x369.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-750x500.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-767x512.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-945x630.jpg 945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joseph Ecker (izquierda) y Joseph Swift (derecha) debutaron un atlas de alta resoluci\u00f3n que muestra c\u00f3mo las sequ\u00edas afectan las c\u00e9lulas vegetales.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ecker-PR-20240905-9E4A1027s-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>El nuevo atlas revel\u00f3 que las condiciones de sequ\u00eda aceleran el envejecimiento de las hojas, pero que se podr\u00eda utilizar un gen espec\u00edfico para recuperar el crecimiento foliar durante la sequ\u00eda.<\/p>\n<p>El estudio, publicado en <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41477-026-02254-3__;!!GX6Nv3_Pjr8b-17qtCok029Ok438DqXQ!1QXTtkVgZnHl_fF56fOkqqEd4VrzGwtYyBh3iv_JQ2pi_jbaC-7j-AVT6oh70HqK5XOtEI8U7-pa7GospA$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Plantas naturales<\/em><\/a> publicado el 19 de marzo de 2026, ofrece una gu\u00eda que podr\u00eda ayudar a los investigadores a desarrollar variedades de cultivos capaces de mantener mejor su crecimiento durante las sequ\u00edas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLlevamos mucho tiempo triturando hojas y analizando la expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica general; esta es la primera vez que estudiamos la sequ\u00eda con una resoluci\u00f3n espec\u00edfica para cada tipo de c\u00e9lula\u201d, afirma <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/scientist\/joseph-ecker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Ecker, doctor,<\/a> autor principal del estudio, profesor y titular de la C\u00e1tedra del Consejo Internacional Salk en Gen\u00e9tica en el Instituto Salk, e investigador del Instituto M\u00e9dico Howard Hughes. \u201cEstamos ampliando los l\u00edmites de lo que se conoce, y este atlas ofrece una visi\u00f3n realmente fundamental sobre c\u00f3mo el entorno influye en las plantas\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>\u00bfEl hecho de que se me caigan las hojas significa que soy un mal cuidador de plantas?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Las plantas pasan por ciclos de muerte y renacimiento, a medida que las hojas viejas caen y brotan otras nuevas. Este proceso de envejecimiento y desarrollo es mucho m\u00e1s flexible que en los seres humanos: las plantas pueden ralentizar, detener o acelerar el envejecimiento seg\u00fan la situaci\u00f3n. Por ejemplo, ante condiciones clim\u00e1ticas extremas como la sequ\u00eda, las plantas comienzan a envejecer r\u00e1pidamente y a desprenderse de las hojas m\u00e1s viejas, al tiempo que ralentizan el crecimiento de las nuevas. De esta manera, la planta conserva sus recursos y se mantiene con vida.<\/p>\n<p>Desafortunadamente para los agricultores, esta t\u00e1ctica perjudica la productividad y el rendimiento general de los cultivos, lo que se traduce en p\u00e9rdidas econ\u00f3micas. Y aunque esta respuesta al estr\u00e9s, caracterizada por un envejecimiento r\u00e1pido y una renovaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s lenta, est\u00e1 bien documentada, a\u00fan se desconocen los fundamentos gen\u00e9ticos del crecimiento de las hojas durante la sequ\u00eda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSi logramos determinar c\u00f3mo las plantas ajustan su crecimiento en respuesta al estr\u00e9s ambiental, podr\u00edamos utilizar esta informaci\u00f3n para desarrollar nuevas variedades de cultivos que mantengan su productividad en condiciones de escasez de agua, un reto cada vez m\u00e1s importante a medida que las sequ\u00edas se vuelven m\u00e1s frecuentes\u201d, afirma Joseph Swift, PhD, primer autor del estudio y exinvestigador posdoctoral en el laboratorio de Ecker.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>\u00bfQu\u00e9 ocurre en el interior de las hojas durante la sequ\u00eda?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Detr\u00e1s de la identidad y el comportamiento de cada c\u00e9lula hay un programa gen\u00e9tico. Cada c\u00e9lula contiene muchos genes, pero solo se expresan unos pocos, seg\u00fan las necesidades espec\u00edficas de ese tipo de c\u00e9lula. Las hojas contienen muchas c\u00e9lulas especializadas diferentes: unas se encargan de transportar el agua, otras de realizar la fotos\u00edntesis, otras de formar la \u201cpiel\u201d de la hoja, y as\u00ed sucesivamente. Los estudios que analizan la expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica global en toda la hoja pasan por alto estas diferencias entre los distintos tipos de c\u00e9lulas.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56256\"  class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"458\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-56256 size-col-md-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-458x458.jpg\" alt=\"Salk researchers discover the gene Ferric Reduction Oxidase 6 (green) regulates Arabidopsis thaliana leaf size during drought.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-458x458.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-767x767.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-147x147.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-553x553.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-750x750.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy-945x945.jpg 945w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Investigadores del Instituto Salk descubren que el gen \u00abFerric Reduction Oxidase 6\u00bb (en verde) regula <em>Arabidopsis thaliana<\/em> tama\u00f1o de las hojas durante la sequ\u00eda.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-microscopy.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Para solucionar esto, los investigadores del Instituto Salk crearon un atlas de expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica con resoluci\u00f3n a nivel de un solo n\u00facleo. El equipo analiz\u00f3 1.226 <em>Arabidopsis <\/em>hojas, con un total de algo menos de un mill\u00f3n de n\u00facleos celulares, incluyendo plantas cultivadas y regadas de forma normal y plantas expuestas a la sequ\u00eda, en diversas etapas de desarrollo.<\/p>\n<p>Cuando los investigadores compararon los perfiles de expresi\u00f3n g\u00e9nica de todas estas c\u00e9lulas, descubrieron que, a lo largo de los nueve d\u00edas de sequ\u00eda, las hojas aceleraron su envejecimiento, lo que dio lugar a hojas m\u00e1s peque\u00f1as. Los programas gen\u00e9ticos relacionados con la madurez y el envejecimiento de las hojas comenzaron a activarse antes de lo normal debido al estr\u00e9s h\u00eddrico. Cuanto peores eran las condiciones de sequ\u00eda, m\u00e1s intensa era la expresi\u00f3n de los genes relacionados con el envejecimiento.<\/p>\n<p>Los programas gen\u00e9ticos relacionados con el envejecimiento se manifestaron de manera especialmente pronunciada en las c\u00e9lulas de las hojas encargadas de la fotos\u00edntesis, denominadas c\u00e9lulas del mes\u00f3filo. Tambi\u00e9n descubrieron que un gen espec\u00edfico, la ferric reductasa 6 (FRO6), regulaba <em>Arabidopsis <\/em>tama\u00f1o de las hojas durante la sequ\u00eda.<\/p>\n<p>El equipo se mostr\u00f3 especialmente entusiasmado al descubrir que, al aumentar la expresi\u00f3n de FRO6 en las c\u00e9lulas del mes\u00f3filo, la planta manten\u00eda parcialmente el crecimiento de las hojas bajo condiciones de estr\u00e9s h\u00eddrico.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>\u00bfPodr\u00edan las plantas tolerantes a la sequ\u00eda ayudar a los agricultores?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56258\"  class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"228\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-56258 size-col-md-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-458x228.jpg\" alt=\"37-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana grown under either well-watered conditions (left) or subject to nine days of drought (right).\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-458x228.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-1024x509.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-768x382.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-147x73.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-585x291.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-553x275.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-750x373.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-767x381.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis-945x470.jpg 945w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">de 37 d\u00edas de nacido <em>Arabidopsis thaliana<\/em> cultivado bajo condiciones de buen riego (izquierda) o sujeto a nueve d\u00edas de sequ\u00eda (derecha).<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ecker-pr-arabidopsis.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPor lo general, cuando intentamos modificar gen\u00e9ticamente una planta para que resista la sequ\u00eda\u201d, explica Swift, \u201cesta acaba atrofiada, porque, en esencia, le estamos diciendo que no crezca. Por supuesto, eso no es lo que queremos en el campo. El FRO6 podr\u00eda ser una forma de estimular a las plantas para que sigan creciendo durante sequ\u00edas leves, lo que permitir\u00eda a los agricultores mantener un rendimiento importante de sus cultivos\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Estos hallazgos podr\u00edan transformar la forma en que los cultivos hacen frente a la sequ\u00eda, haci\u00e9ndolos m\u00e1s resistentes sin sacrificar la productividad. Adem\u00e1s, complementan otro estudio reciente del laboratorio de Ecker, que describ\u00eda una respuesta inmunitaria potenciada que las plantas activan tras la sequ\u00eda, denominada <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/all-drii-ed-up-how-do-plants-recover-after-drought\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inmunidad inducida por la recuperaci\u00f3n tras la sequ\u00eda (DRII)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNuestro estudio anterior, publicado el verano pasado, explicaba c\u00f3mo se recuperan las plantas de la sequ\u00eda, y ahora sabemos c\u00f3mo responden <em>durante <\/em>\u201dla sequ\u00eda\u201c, afirma Ecker. \u201dDesde aqu\u00ed, podemos dise\u00f1ar estrategias para crear cultivos m\u00e1s resistentes que puedan soportar mejor estos retos ambientales y proteger as\u00ed el suministro mundial de alimentos\u00bb.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>Otros autores y financiaci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Entre los dem\u00e1s autores se encuentran Xuelin Wu, Jiaying Xu, Carl Procko, Tanvi Jain, Natanella Illouz-Eliaz, Joseph Nery y Joanne Chory, del Instituto Salk. El trabajo cont\u00f3 con el apoyo de la Fundaci\u00f3n para la Investigaci\u00f3n en Ciencias de la Vida, la Asociaci\u00f3n Americano-Australiana y el Instituto M\u00e9dico Howard Hughes.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":56260,"template":"","faculty":[42],"disease-research":[125,451,452],"class_list":["post-56254","disclosure","type-disclosure","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","faculty-joseph-ecker","disease-research-plant-biology","disease-research-plant-genomics","disease-research-plant-physiology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Highlights Salk scientists debut gene expression atlas of plant leaves across development, comparing normal versus drought conditions The atlas reveals drought accelerates leaf aging; pinpoints a gene that helps leaves keep growing under stress The study clears the path to more drought-tolerant crops, which would protect yields and reduce farmer losses during mild droughts LA JOLLA\u2014The United States and Mexico have been in a historic megadrought since the turn of the century. For more than 25 years, the American Southwest has faced the severe social and economic consequences of this megadrought\u2014including a $1.1 billion agricultural loss in California in 2021 alone. With these conditions persisting, how can we help crops withstand drought while minimizing yield loss?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Salk Institute for Biological Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T16:02:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"767\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"767\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/\",\"name\":\"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T12:20:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-19T16:02:52+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg\",\"width\":767,\"height\":767},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/news-release\\\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/\",\"name\":\"Salk Institute for Biological Studies\",\"description\":\"The Power of Science\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Salk Institute for Biological Studies\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/salk_logo_696.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/salk_logo_696.jpg\",\"width\":696,\"height\":696,\"caption\":\"Salk Institute for Biological Studies\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.salk.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/","og_locale":"es_MX","og_type":"article","og_title":"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies","og_description":"Highlights Salk scientists debut gene expression atlas of plant leaves across development, comparing normal versus drought conditions The atlas reveals drought accelerates leaf aging; pinpoints a gene that helps leaves keep growing under stress The study clears the path to more drought-tolerant crops, which would protect yields and reduce farmer losses during mild droughts LA JOLLA\u2014The United States and Mexico have been in a historic megadrought since the turn of the century. For more than 25 years, the American Southwest has faced the severe social and economic consequences of this megadrought\u2014including a $1.1 billion agricultural loss in California in 2021 alone. With these conditions persisting, how can we help crops withstand drought while minimizing yield loss?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/","og_site_name":"Salk Institute for Biological Studies","article_modified_time":"2026-03-19T16:02:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":767,"height":767,"url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/","url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/","name":"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-19T12:20:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T16:02:52+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es-MX","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es-MX","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-homepage.jpg","width":767,"height":767},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/news-release\/how-do-thirsty-plants-hold-out-during-drought\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/","name":"Instituto Salk de Estudios Biol\u00f3gicos","description":"The Power of Science","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es-MX"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#organization","name":"Instituto Salk de Estudios Biol\u00f3gicos","url":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es-MX","@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/salk_logo_696.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/salk_logo_696.jpg","width":696,"height":696,"caption":"Salk Institute for Biological Studies"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"ACF":{"hero":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260319-ecker-pr-header-1.jpg","line_1":"How do thirsty plants hold out during drought?","line_2":"Salk Institute scientists create high-resolution atlas showing how droughts affect plant cells and identify a gene that could be targeted to create more resilient crops","poster_quote":"","gallery":false,"paper_url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41477-026-02254-3","journal_title":"Nature Plants","paper_author_list":"Joseph Swift, Xuelin Wu, Jiaying Xu, Carl Procko, Tanvi Jain, Natanella Illouz-Eliaz, Joseph R. Nery, Joanne Chory, Joseph R. Ecker","doi":"10.1038\/s41477-026-02254-3","paper_title":"Stress drives plasticity in leaf aging transcriptional dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana","subhead":"Salk Institute scientists create high-resolution atlas showing how droughts affect plant cells and identify a gene that could be targeted to create more resilient crops","home_photo":"","listing_photo":"","legacy_boilerplate":[],"hide_boilerplate":[],"disable_date":false,"listing_excerpt":"","descriptive_blurb":"","has_journal_cover":false,"og_image_override":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disclosure\/56254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disclosure"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/disclosure"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disclosure\/56254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56266,"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disclosure\/56254\/revisions\/56266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"faculty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/faculty?post=56254"},{"taxonomy":"disease-research","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disease-research?post=56254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}