Root Development and Adaptations

Dear Colleagues,

Plants have root systems that not only anchor them to the soil, but also absorb nutrients and water required for their growth. Through evolution, plant root systems have been able to adapt to various environmental cues, such as soil composition, competition with other root systems, and abiotic and biotic stresses, as well as interact with beneficial organisms in the rhizosphere. Root architecture and responses to different environmental conditions are diverse and phenotypically variable. Using Arabidopsis as a model system has improved our understanding of molecular signaling involved in root apical meristem action, pattern formation, root growth rate, and the degree of branching. Given the actual root system diversity and complexity inherent among plant species, new discoveries have enriched our understanding of several aspects of control in root development in diverse species and their role within plant adaptation.

Dr. Konstantinos E. Vlachonasios
Guest Editor

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• root development
• root apical meristem
• gravitropism
• root branching
• root pattern formation
• root architecture
• gene expression
• molecular mechanisms
• epigenetic modifications
• abiotic stress responses
• rhizosphere
• biotic stress responses

Title: Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Mechanisms of xylo-oligosaccharide Spraying on Root Development and Growth of Lettuce
Authors: Meng Kong 1; Juan Wang 1; Jiuxing He 1; Qiuyan Huo 1; Yawen Jiang 1; Xi Yang 1; Wei Han 2; Guohua Lv 1
Affiliation: 1 Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China. 2 Shandong Agri-tech Extension Center, Jinan 250013, China.
Abstract: Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are xylose polymers produced by the degradation of lignocellulose and have potential applications in the field of plant growth regulation. However, the role of XOS in plant growth regulation is still not well understood, especially its regulatory mechanism on plant root growth. Xylo-oligosaccharide with 50 mg L-1 was used to explore the molecular mechanism of XOS on lettuce growth. The result shows that XOS has a significant promoting effects on lettuce growth. Compared to the control group, the above-ground and underground biomass as well as the adventitious root length of lettuce after treated with XOS were increased by 37.6%, 46.9% and 36.8% respectively. Transcriptome sequencing reveal significant alterations in gene expression across various biological pathways in lettuce leaves treated with XOS, including circadian rhythm, pyruvate metabolism, photosynthetic carbon fixation, and thiamine metabolism. In addition, In the root system, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is mainly enriched in key pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Besides, several candidate genes are identified that may play pivotal roles in regulating lettuce growth, such as the ACS coding gene, CK2α coding gene, SAUR gene, etc. In conclusion, multiple genes have been identified as potential mechanism underlying xylo-oligosaccharide-regulated lettuce growth, offering insights into the molecular events involved.