Cell cycle follows “pause and play” mechanism in environment stress recovery in diverse plant species

Across the tree of life, organisms interact with the surrounding environment during growth and development. The alteration of organismal growth due to environmental stress is orchestrated at the cellular level and manifested at the organ level. Organismal growth relies on a combination of cell division, expansion, and differentiation. In a natural environment, periods of stress may be followed by recovery periods, when plants have the opportunity to return to normal growth conditions. We tested the cell cycle regulation during control, stress, and recovery period for salt, osmotic, cold, and heat stresses using eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana and monocots Brachypodium distachyon and Lolium multiflorum (annual ryegrass). We identified a conserved “pause and play” mechanism of cell cycle during environmental stress and recovery.