Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Imaging the Root Hair Morphology of Arabidopsis Seedlings in a Two-layer Microfluidic Platform
Published on: August 15, 2017
Contribution of Root Hair Development to Sulfate Uptake in Arabidopsis
Yuki Kimura1, Tsukasa Ushiwatari2, Akiko Suyama3
1Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. YukiKimura@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Root hairs often contribute to nutrient uptake from environments, but the contribution varies among nutrients. In Arabidopsis, two high-affinity sulfate transporters, SULTR1;1 and SULTR1;2, are responsible for sulfate uptake by roots. Their increased expression under sulfur deficiency (-S) stimulates sulfate uptake. Inspired by the higher and lower expression, respectively, of SULTR1;1 in mutants with more (werwolf [wer]) and fewer (caprice [cpc]) root hairs, we examined the contribution of root hairs to sulfate uptake. Sulfate uptake rates were similar among plant lines under both sulfur sufficiency (+S) and -S. Under -S, the expression of SULTR1;1 and SULTR1;2 was negatively correlated with the number of root hairs. These results suggest that both -S-induced SULTR expression and sulfate uptake rates were independent of the number of root hairs. In addition, we observed (1) a negative correlation between primary root lengths and number of root hairs and (2) a greater number of root hairs under -S than under +S. These observations suggested that under both +S and -S, sulfate uptake was influenced by the root biomass rather than the number of root hairs.
Related Concept Videos
Hair Cells
Sulfate Attack on Concrete
Sulfates from sources like soil, groundwater, or industrial effluents...
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part...
Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence

