Root apical meristem articles from across Nature Portfolio

Plant roots can respond to the environment by modifying cell type development. Here, the molecular pathways controlling root exodermal suberin are defined, as is its role in drought response. Modulating exodermal suberin levels can be a target for improved plant environmental resilience.

Genetic, molecular, and computational analyses reveal that salt stress alters root apical meristem size through miR165/166-mediated regulation of cytokinin levels via the PHB-IPT7 pathway.

Complementary single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic analyses of Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor and Setaria viridis root cells provide insights into the evolution of cell types and gene modules that control key traits in these important crop species.

AtGBPL3 is a dynamin-related GTPase that functions in mitotic nuclear envelope formation. It interacts with lamina components to mediate nuclear morphogenesis and transcriptional repression during interphase.

The phloem tissue is the main transport route for sugars in plant bodies. This study reveals a nuclear protein complex consisting of SMXL5 and OBE3 to be essential for phloem development by establishing a phloem-specific chromatin conformation.

Intracellular H₂O₂ has emerged as a central player in signalling and stress acclimation, but how specificity is achieved remains elusive. Cytosolic peroxiredoxins play a decisive role as they sense H₂O₂ and transmit the oxidation signal through the formation of disulfide bridges, leading to stomatal closure that reduces pathogen entry.

Regulation of organ growth involves multiple pathways that coordinate cell number and size in a process that is highly dependent on nutrient supply and energy levels. The simplicity of the Arabidopsis root tip provides a suitable model for the genetic dissection of plant organ growth regulation.

Arabidopsis embryonic root development involves the formation of distinct cell types and tissues in a tightly regulated and thereby highly predictable spatio-temporal manner. A crosstalk between maternal and embryonic genes orchestrates division orientation and fate specification to control root development.