{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T06:55:11Z","timestamp":1790578511327,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790467200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790467200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100020884","name":"Agencia Nacional de Investigaci\u00d3n y Desarrollo","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1220235"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1220235"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100020884","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Plant Cell &amp; Environment"],"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Fine\u2010root hydraulic failure under drought is often attributed to structural collapse or loss of soil\u2013root contact; however, whether declines in radial hydraulic conductivity () reflect irreversible damage or coordinated biomechanical regulation remains unresolved. We tested the hypothesis that progressive soil drying induces a \u2010coordinated mechanical transition that is associated with radial hydraulic limitation in fine roots of\n                    <jats:italic>Opuntia ficus\u2010indica<\/jats:italic>\n                    . Roots were exposed to 45, 120, and 180 days without irrigation, followed by short\u2010term rehydration. We quantified pressure\u2013volume (P\u2013V) traits, root sap osmotic potential (), radial hydraulic conductivity (), and anatomical restructuring. Drought progressively shifted the turgor loss point () to more negative values, increased the volumetric elastic modulus (), and reduced relative capacitance above  (). Pre\u2010 P\u2013V relationships remained strongly linear across treatments, indicating preserved hydrostatic buffering and stable  while tissues remained turgid. In contrast, post\u2010 linearity progressively deteriorated with drought duration, coinciding with increased , reduced , cortical cell wall folding, lacuna formation, and sharp declines in . Across treatments, changes in  and  were associated with reductions in , consistent with a link between tissue stiffening and radial hydraulic limitation. Root osmotic potential () became progressively more negative with drought severity; however, under extreme dehydration, divergence between measured  and P\u2013V\u2010derived osmotic potential at full turgor () indicated structural compartmentalization and departure from homogeneous tissue behavior.  remained stable under moderate drought, showed a non\u2010significant trend toward reduction at 120 days, and declined sharply after 180 days of drought, with incomplete recovery following severe stress. Together, these results are consistent with concurrent shifts in hydraulic and mechanical traits across . Above , hydrostatic elastic buffering is associated with maintained radial hydraulic conductivity. Below , increased stiffness and reduced relative capacitance constrain volumetric deformation and are associated with progressive radial hydraulic limitation. We propose a conceptual \u2010mediated hydraulic\u2013mechanical safety margin as the hydration interval between the onset of post\u2010 stiffening and the inflection point of decline, which is associated with functional soil\u2013root coupling under extreme soil drying.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.70925","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T05:57:47Z","timestamp":1790575067000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Residual Mechanical Stiffening Is Associated With Radial Hydraulic Limitation Across the Turgor Loss Point in\n                    <i>Opuntia ficus\u2010indica<\/i>\n                    Fine Roots Under Prolonged Drought"],"prefix":"10.1111","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-4427-6057","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eberhard D.","family":"Neserke\u2010Molina","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Agron\u00f3micas y de los Alimentos Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso Valpara\u00edso Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8134-6174","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cesar","family":"Barrientos\u2010Sanhueza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Agron\u00f3micas y de los Alimentos Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso Valpara\u00edso Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8092-0987","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Italo F.","family":"Cuneo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Agron\u00f3micas y de los Alimentos Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso Valpara\u00edso Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2458","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.13560","article-title":"Dynamics of Intracellular Mannan and Cell Wall Folding in the Drought Responses of Succulent Aloe Species","volume":"42","author":"Ahl L. I.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Plant, Cell & Environment"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2246","DOI":"10.1093\/plphys\/kiac403","article-title":"Divergent Leaf and Fine Root \u2018Pressure\u2010Volume Relationships\u2019 across Habitats With Varying Water Availability","volume":"190","author":"Aritsara A. N. 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K.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ecology Letters"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1093\/aob\/mcab132","article-title":"Root Pressure\u2013Volume Curve Traits Capture Rootstock Drought Tolerance","volume":"129","author":"Bartlett M. K.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Annals of Botany"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01405922","article-title":"A Berberine\u2010Aniline Blue Fluorescent Staining Procedure for Suberin, Lignin, and Callose in Plant Tissue","volume":"146","author":"Brundrett M. 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P.","year":"2004","journal-title":"American Journal of Botany"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_22_1","volume-title":"Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations","author":"Kirkham M. B.","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"458","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.13936","article-title":"Salt Stress Reduces Root Water Uptake in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Through Modification of the Transcellular Transport Path","volume":"44","author":"Knipfer T.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Plant, Cell & Environment"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8137.2010.03240.x","article-title":"Root Pressure and a Solute Reflection Coefficient Close to Unity Exclude a Purely Apoplastic Pathway of Radial Water Transport in Barley (Hordeum vulgare)","volume":"187","author":"Knipfer T.","year":"2010","journal-title":"New Phytologist"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_25_1","volume-title":"Water Relations of Plant and Soil","author":"Kramer P. 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