{
  "id": 181382,
  "title": "New molecule class creates hardy, drought tolerant plants",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/new-molecule-class-creates-hardy-drought-tolerant-plants",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-05T16:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecule-class-hardy-drought-tolerant.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Climate change is leading to water scarcity and rising temperatures, threatening crops worldwide. An international research team from Tohoku University has discovered a new class of small molecules that can improve plant drought tolerance without negatively impacting growth. When plants experience drought stress, they produce a hormone called abscisic acid (ABA) to close their stomata and reduce water loss. However, ABA also causes negative effects like seed dormancy and growth inhibition. The researchers aimed to find compounds that suppress ABA's effects on stomatal opening. They focused on a channel, KAT1, responsible for stomatal opening and identified a small molecule called NS5806 that inhibits KAT1. By modifying NS5806, they created a derivative called UA49. Applying these compounds to plant leaves successfully induced stomatal closure and improved drought tolerance. Unlike ABA, these compounds did not cause negative side effects such as delayed seed germination or inhibited root growth. The researchers also discovered that NS5806/UA49 works through a different mechanism than ABA, involving sustained Ca²⁺ influx in guard cells. These findings suggest that KAT1 channels play a crucial role in regulating intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling, making NS5806 and UA49 promising candidates for enhancing drought tolerance in major crops as climate change continues to make extreme drought more common worldwide.",
  "summary": "As climate change causes water scarcity and temperatures to rise, crops around the world are feeling the heat. How can we prevent severe crop losses in these relentlessly sweltering conditions? An international research team led by Tohoku University has identified a new class of small molecules that enhances plant drought tolerance without any major negative impact on plant growth.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}