Tag: Root development

For a plant, form is function. Despite the diversity of forms that exist in nature, plant root diversity is notoriously understudied compared to their aerial counterpart. This review by Ramachandran and Ramirez et al. aims to revitalize the field of root form-function research by accentuating the vast…

The vascular cambium, a bifacial stem cell niche, generates xylem on one side and phloem on the other, driving wood formation—the largest reservoir of terrestrial biomass. This developmental system must balance producing two distinct cell types while maintaining a reservoir of stem cells. Key questions…

The endodermal Casparian strip (CS) is a conserved lignin-based barrier in plant roots that seals the endodermal apoplastic space. Most angiosperms possess an additional root cell type, the exodermis, which also forms a barrier. However, its regulation remains poorly understood as this cell type is absent…

Thanks to the continued shedding and renewal of root cap cells, plant roots are able to extend into further reaches within the soil column overcoming physical barriers and potential microbial attacks, or so we assumed. Charura et al. explored the latter hypothesis showing that timely programmed cell…

Roots do not grow in isolation but occupy a space inhabited by a variety of organisms. With certain fungi and bacteria, they form partnerships or symbiotic relationships that increase the plant’s nutrient uptake and assimilation. While the knowledge on the genetic programs required to establish these…

This is an excellent introduction to how synthetic biology can be used to program plants for climate resilience by engineering them to respond predictably and in ways beyond those that evolution has explored, through the use of controllable synthetic gene circuits. Ragland et al. describe how precise…

Brassinosteroid hormones regulate root growth and development by controlling cell division and elongation. However, it has been unclear why and how root cells with different identities and developmental stages respond to brassinosteroids differently. Nolan et al. used cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing…

Lately, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized as signaling molecules that regulate plant cellular proliferation and differentiation in many areas of the plant, including root tips. Chloroplasts, peroxisomes, and mitochondria are the main cellular compartments for ROS generation in cells.…