Troubled waters: a plant protein senses when cells are running dry

Nature, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01633-2

How cells sense fluctuations in the availability of water has long been unclear. The protein SAM8 is now shown to undergo a process called phase separation in a way that depends on its hydration, thereby sensing cellular water availability and linking changes in water status to the regulation of gene expression.