Do biomolecular condensates regulate the transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses of plant roots to water deficit?

Water deficit at the plant cell level can be assimilated to a reduction in turgor pressure and an increase in osmotic pressure. In a previous work, we showed that the mRNA abundance of some genes displays a quantitative relationship to these physicochemical parameters. Biomolecular condensates have been shown to depend on the physicochemical environment and are known to regulate mRNA fate. In this review, we present recent work about the implication of biomolecular condensates in mRNA regulation of plants under water deficit and question the biophysical origin of their dynamics. Data in the literature suggest that while the perception of mild water deficit may have been overlooked, biomolecular condensates are clear candidates to sense and transduce severe water deficit in plant cells.