This work adds to a growing body of research on plant mechanosensation, how plants sense physical forces in their environment, and explores the molecular underpinnings behind one of nature's most dramatic plant movements.
In Dionaea muscipula, more commonly the Venus flytrap, sensory hairs on the inner surface of the lobes act as tactile sensors. When an insect contacts these hairs, it triggers electrical changes in the plant: receptor potentials (RPs), followed by action potentials (APs), which ultimately snap the trap shut.
Although the electrical behavior of the plant has been studied for decades, the molecular identity of the sensors responsible for detecting touch has remained unknown. Based on prior knowledge of mechanosensitive ion channels across species, the researchers focused on the MSL (MscS-like) family, stretch-activated channels known in bacteria and plants, zeroing in on DmMSL10.
A Multi-Pronged Experimental Approach
To investigate DmMSL10’s role, the research team combined molecular genetics, high-resolution imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral assays.
They created genetically modified Venus flytrap lines expressing GCaMP6f, a calcium-sensitive fluorescent protein, to visualize calcium dynamics during mechanical stimulation. Using precision tools, they deflected the sensory hairs with controlled force while recording receptor and action potentials.
CRISPR-Cas9 was used to generate knockout plants lacking DmMSL10. These mutants were analyzed under confocal and two-photon microscopes, and their response to mechanical stimuli was compared with that of wild-type plants. Pharmacological blockers targeting chloride channels were also applied to validate the functional role of DmMSL10.
Finally, the researchers used prey-interaction experiments to test the plants' performance in more naturalistic conditions, comparing their ability to detect and capture ants.
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DmMSL10: Essential for Sensory Hair Function
The study found that DmMSL10 is a central component of the Venus flytrap's mechanosensory system. When a trigger hair is touched, DmMSL10 opens in response to membrane tension, initiating a chloride ion flux that depolarizes the cell membrane. This triggers receptor potentials, which generate action potentials that propagate across the leaf, closing the trap.
Knockout plants lacking DmMSL10 showed significantly reduced receptor potential amplitudes and impaired electrical signaling. Calcium imaging revealed weaker and slower signal propagation in these mutants. Moreover, when chloride channels were pharmacologically blocked in wild-type plants, they exhibited similar defects, providing further evidence for DmMSL10’s functional role.
Beyond the cellular level, the absence of DmMSL10 resulted in clear behavioral consequences. Mutant plants displayed diminished calcium responses when prey touched their trigger hairs, and they closed their traps far less frequently. These changes resulted in a marked drop in prey capture efficiency.
Implications for Plant Sensory Biology
The authors concluded that DmMSL10 is a key molecular gatekeeper in the Venus flytrap’s sensory hairs, translating physical touch into a fast electrical cascade that powers one of the plant kingdom’s most iconic behaviors.
Their findings point to a highly specialized and tightly integrated sensory system, with parallels to neural signaling in animals. This study advances our understanding of how plants actively perceive their environments by identifying a clear molecular player in plant mechanosensation.
Journal Reference
Suda H., Asakawa H., et al. (2025). MSL10 is a high-sensitivity mechanosensor in the tactile sense of the Venus flytrap. Nature Communications 16, 8280. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63419-w, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63419-w