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Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Published on: January 14, 2016

Specification and evolution of lateral roots.

Abdellah Lakehal¹, Asma Dob¹, Tom Beeckman¹

¹Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.

Current Biology : CB

|March 14, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plants grow new roots through dichotomous and lateral branching. Lateral root branching relies on specific stem cells, with positional signals in flowering plants and lineage control in ferns.

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Developmental biology
Evolutionary biology

Background:

Plants exhibit post-embryonic organogenesis, notably root branching.
Root branching occurs via dichotomous and lateral pathways.
Lateral root branching involves de novo specification of stem cells within existing roots.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize advances in molecular mechanisms of lateral root stem cell specification in angiosperms.
To highlight positional signals regulating this process.
To explore the evolutionary origins of root branching mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Review of recent research on plant root development.
Analysis of molecular and positional signaling pathways.
Comparative study of branching mechanisms across plant groups.

Main Results:

Lateral root stem cell specification in angiosperms is influenced by positional signals.
Dichotomous branching in Selaginella involves meristem division.
Ferns utilize lineage-dependent mechanisms for lateral root development, unlike angiosperms.

Conclusions:

Positional control is not universal for lateral root stem cell specification in plants.
Evolutionary divergence in root branching mechanisms exists between plant lineages.
Understanding these mechanisms offers insights into plant development and evolution.