NODULE INCEPTION recruits the lateral root developmental program for symbiotic nodule organogenesis in Medicago truncatula ($) (Curr Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyLateral roots are secondary root organs arising through the dedifferentiation of inner cell layers in the primary root. Nodules arise through symbiosis with rhizobia bacteria in a certain clade of land plants and they also arise through dedifferentiation. Both lateral roots and nodules are part of the…
Ray parenchymal cells contribute to lignification of tracheids in developing xylem of Norway spruce (Plant Phys)
Plant Science Research WeeklyLignin makes up to 27% of the dry weight of wood and is important structurally as well as serving as an effective carbon sink. Lignin is produced from monolignol precursors that are released into the apoplast and then polymerized. Previous studies have suggested that the monolignols are produced not…
Control of adventitious rooting by TIR1/AFB2-Aux/IAA-dependent auxin signaling ($) (Mol Plant)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAdventitious roots typically develop from non-root tissue like shoots either naturally in some species or upon induction by stress in most species. The key roles of auxin signaling in lateral root development are well known but the role of these regulators in adventitious roots with their high phenotypic…
Evolution of the KANADI gene family and leaf development in lycophytes and ferns ($) (Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants constantly grow post embryonically through shoot and root apical meristems. Multiple transcriptional factors and other regulators fine-tune such growth. Leaf growth from the apical meristem is well studied in the model plant Arabidopsis where two main transcription factors, namely HD-ZIP III (Class…
A peptide pair coordinates ovule initiation patterns with seed number and fruit size (bioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant peptide patterning is popping up everywhere! Now Kawamoto et al. show that a pair of peptides, interacting with receptor proteins, coordinates the placement of ovules in Arabidopsis. They started with a natural variation analysis, which highlighted that several varieties with mutations in the ERECTA…
Review: Developmental thermal responses in Arabidopsis (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants can modify their growth in response to environmental challenges. In a recent review, Vu et al. summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying high temperature responses during the Arabidopsis life cycle. At early stages, high temperature promotes abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and decreases gibberellic…
Review: Developmental responses to water and salinity in root systems ($) (Annu Rev Cell Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants lack organs that are analogous to human ears, eyes or fingertips, yet they can detect changes in their environment. In this review, Dinneny describes how sensing heterogeneities in salt and water leads to changes in root architecture, optimizing soil foraging. The root tip typically follows the…
Evolution of fast root gravitropism in seed plants (Nature Comms)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants’ invasion of land was accompanied by the evolution of a root system which in seed plants includes a fast gravitropic response. Gravitropism occurs through three distinct steps – (1) gravity perception by dense starch-filled amyloplasts, (2) transmission of gravitropic signal by auxin through…
Cytoskeleton dynamics necessary for early events of lateral root initiation (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklySymmetric cell division leads to proliferation, and asymmetric cell division establishes differential growth. Formation of lateral roots (LRs) depends on asymmetric division of initially symmetric founder cells. Barro et al. studied the mechanism of asymmetric radial expansion by analyzing cytoskeleton…