CRE/LOX-based analysis of cell lineage during root formation and regeneration in Arabidopsis

The root system of Arabidopsis thaliana comprises primary, lateral, and adventitious roots. Different types of roots are formed by diverse inductive cues and developmental programs. Here, we adopted the CRE/LOX system to trace cell lineage during the three types of root formation under the control of the promoter of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX5. The results show that the cells forming adventitious roots during de novo root regeneration from detached leaves and lateral roots from the primary root are descendants of the WOX5-expressing root primordium. During the post-embryonic growth of the primary root, some vascular and root cap cells are descendants of the WOX5-expressing stem cell niche in the root apical meristem. Overall, our data suggest that the CRE/LOX system is a useful tool to trace cell lineage in different types of root organogenesis.