Abstract
Lateral root initiation is a post-embryonic process that requires the specification of a subset of pericycle cells adjacent to the xylem pole in the primary root into lateral root founder cells. The first visible event of lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis is the simultaneous migration of nuclei in neighbouring founder cells. Coinciding cell cycle activation is essential for founder cells in the pericycle to undergo formative divisions, resulting in the development of a lateral root primordium (LRP). The plant signalling molecule, auxin, is a major regulator of lateral root development; the understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling lateral root initiation has progressed tremendously by the use of the Arabidopsis model and a continual improvement of molecular methodologies. Here, we provide an overview of the visible events, cell cycle regulators, and auxin signalling cascades related to the initiation of a new LRP. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of genome editing technology to analyse gene function in lateral root initiation, which provides an excellent model to answer fundamental developmental questions such as coordinated cell division, growth axis establishment as well as the specification of cell fate and cell polarity.
Highlights
In the past five years, the generation of knockout plant lines via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) genome editing technology has been widely adopted by researchers, while the basic principles behind double-strand break-induced targeted mutagenesis have been well known for decades [61]
A- and B1-subtype Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are concomitantly essential for lateral root organogenesis and lateral root-specific CRISPR-TSKO revealed that morphogenesis of lateral roots still occurs upon absence of intact cell cycle progression
Root branching through lateral root formation is an important component of the adaptability of the root system to its environment
Summary
The Arabidopsis plant, as with most angiosperms, develops an extensive root system designed to function in the anchorage of the plant, in the absorption of water and mineral ions and in interaction with microorganisms. Root morphogenesis in many plants occurs in a continuous and relatively uniform pattern without significant developmental transitions, while cell files are easy to observe in longitudinal sections and their origin can be traced back to the meristem [1]. The ability of a root to grow in a continuous fashion is dependent on the regulation of cell division and expansion as well as maintenance of a stem cell population within the meristem. Root growth can be profoundly affected by a variety of external stimuli, including gravity, light, temperature, moisture, aeration and physical obstacles [2]. These stimuli can alter cell division activity, the direction or degree of cell expansion, the amount of root branching, or the structure of root cells
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