Sensing forces: How plants convert mechanical cues into biological responses

Plants encounter mechanical constraints from environmental forces and morphogenesis. Sensing these constraints induces downstream responses that are crucial for plant development and its plasticity in a changing environment. Here, we first provide an overview of the mechanical constraints acting on plants at multiple scales, ranging from organelles to organs. We then focus on the coupling between mechanical stimuli and biological signaling, referred to as mechanotransduction. We highlight distinct modes of coupling, including the sensing of lipid compaction and cell wall status by receptors and channels, as well as the mechanically induced reorganization of cellular components such as the cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Finally, we discuss the diversity of downstream responses triggered by mechanotransduction and their temporal dynamics. We propose that the diversity of mechanotransduction modalities allows plants to decode mechanical signatures characterized by specific stimulus intensities, durations, and frequencies, thereby eliciting adaptive cellular and developmental responses.