Plant roots navigate the soil ecosystem with each cell type uniquely responding to environmental stimuli. Below ground, the plant's response to its surroundings is orchestrated at the cellular level, including morphological and molecular adaptations that shape root system architecture as well as tissue and organ functionality. Our understanding of the transcriptional responses at cell type resolution has been profoundly enhanced by studies of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, both a comprehensive view of the transcriptional basis of these cellular responses to single and combinatorial environmental cues in diverse plant species remains elusive. In this review, we highlight the ability of root cell types to undergo specific anatomical or morphological changes in response to abiotic and biotic stresses or cues and how they collectively contribute to the plant's overall physiology. We further explore interconnections between stress and the temporal nature of developmental pathways and discuss examples of how this transcriptional reprogramming influences cell type identity and function. Finally, we highlight the power of single-cell and spatial transcriptomic approaches to refine our understanding of how environmental factors fine tune root spatiotemporal development. These complex root system responses underscore the importance of spatiotemporal transcriptional mapping, with significant implications for enhanced agricultural resilience.
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Abstract Free, publicly-accessible full text available September 17, 2025 -
Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 1, 2025
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Plant roots integrate environmental signals with development using exquisite spatiotemporal control. This is apparent in the deposition of suberin, an apoplastic diffusion barrier, which regulates flow of water, solutes and gases, and is environmentally plastic. Suberin is considered a hallmark of endodermal differentiation but is absent in the tomato endodermis. Instead, suberin is present in the exodermis, a cell type that is absent in the model organismmore » « less
Arabidopsis thaliana . Here we demonstrate that the suberin regulatory network has the same parts driving suberin production in the tomato exodermis and theArabidopsis endodermis. Despite this co-option of network components, the network has undergone rewiring to drive distinct spatial expression and with distinct contributions of specific genes. Functional genetic analyses of the tomato MYB92 transcription factor and ASFT enzyme demonstrate the importance of exodermal suberin for a plant water-deficit response and that the exodermal barrier serves an equivalent function to that of the endodermis and can act in its place.Free, publicly-accessible full text available January 1, 2025 -
Summary The roles of
SHORT‐ROOT (SHR ) andSCARECROW (SCR ) in ground tissue patterning and differentiation have been well established in the root ofArabidopsis thaliana . Recently, work in additional organs and species revealed the extensive functional diversification of these genes, including regulation of cortical divisions essential for nodule organogenesis in legume roots, bundle sheath specification in the Arabidopsis leaf, patterning of inner leaf cell layers in maize, and stomatal development in rice. The co‐option of distinct functions and cell types is attributed to different mechanisms, including paralog retention, spatiotemporal changes in gene expression, and novel protein functions. Elaborating our knowledge of theSHR –SCR module further unravels the developmental regulation that controls diverse forms and functions within and between species. -
Gleadow, Ros (Ed.)Abstract Two sorghum varieties, Shanqui Red (SQR) and SRN39, have distinct levels of susceptibility to the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, which have been attributed to different strigolactone composition within their root exudates. Root exudates of the Striga-susceptible variety Shanqui Red (SQR) contain primarily 5-deoxystrigol, which has a high efficiency for inducing Striga germination. SRN39 roots primarily exude orobanchol, leading to reduced Striga germination and making this variety resistant to Striga. The structural diversity in exuded strigolactones is determined by a polymorphism in the LOW GERMINATION STIMULANT 1 (LGS1) locus. Yet, the genetic diversity between SQR and SRN39 is broad and has not been addressed in terms of growth and development. Here, we demonstrate additional differences between SQR and SRN39 by phenotypic and molecular characterization. A suite of genes related to metabolism was differentially expressed between SQR and SRN39. Increased levels of gibberellin precursors in SRN39 were accompanied by slower growth rate and developmental delay and we observed an overall increased SRN39 biomass. The slow-down in growth and differences in transcriptome profiles of SRN39 were strongly associated with plant age. Additionally, enhanced lateral root growth was observed in SRN39 and three additional genotypes exuding primarily orobanchol. In summary, we demonstrate that the differences between SQR and SRN39 reach further than the changes in strigolactone profile in the root exudate and translate into alterations in growth and development.more » « less
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Abstract Epigenomics is the study of molecular signatures associated with discrete regions within genomes, many of which are important for a wide range of nuclear processes. The ability to profile the epigenomic landscape associated with genes, repetitive regions, transposons, transcription, differential expression, cis-regulatory elements, and 3D chromatin interactions has vastly improved our understanding of plant genomes. However, many epigenomic and single-cell genomic assays are challenging to perform in plants, leading to a wide range of data quality issues; thus, the data require rigorous evaluation prior to downstream analyses and interpretation. In this commentary, we provide considerations for the evaluation of plant epigenomics and single-cell genomics data quality with the aim of improving the quality and utility of studies using those data across diverse plant species.more » « less
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null (Ed.)Abstract Twenty years ago, the Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequence was published. This was an important moment as it was the first sequenced plant genome and explicitly brought plant science into the genomics era. At the time, this was not only an outstanding technological achievement, but it was characterized by a superb global collaboration. The Arabidopsis genome was the seed for plant genomic research. Here, we review the development of numerous resources based on the genome that have enabled discoveries across plant species, which has enhanced our understanding of how plants function and interact with their environments.more » « less