Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

Transposons make up a significant part of genomes of various organisms. Therefore, it is believed that transposition played a major evolutionary role in speciation by changing genome sizes and modifying gene expression patterns. For example, in bacteria, transposition can lead to conferring antibiotic resistance. Movement of transposable elements within the genetic pool of pathogenic bacteria can aid in transfer of antibiotic-resistant genetic elements. In eukaryotes, transposons can carry out...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots

Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots

Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Decoding stage-specific symbiotic programs in the Rhizophagus irregularis-tomato interaction using single-nucleus transcriptomics.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Evolution of root systems in land plants.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Benchmarking plant single cell RNA-sequencing sample processing strategies.

The EMBO journal·2026

Same author

Enhanced expression of the <i>ScTpx2</i> gene confers tolerance to drought stress in transgenic sugarcane.

GM crops & food·2026

Same author

smoppix: unified nonparametric analysis of single-molecule spatial omics data using probabilistic indices.

Genome biology·2026

Same author

Evolutionary adaptations to the hormonal regulation of vascular tissue development.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Isolation and Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Cell Types

Isolation and Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Cell Types

Published on: April 7, 2023

Spatial transcriptomics of a lycophyte root sheds light on root evolution.

Xilan Yang¹, Ward Poelmans¹, Carolin Grones¹

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

Current Biology : CB

|September 8, 2023

Summary

Plant roots evolved convergently, with similar gene regulation in lycophytes and seed plants for development. However, root cap formation differs, highlighting a novel role for WOX genes in non-seed plants.

Keywords:

SCR SHR Selaginella WOX endodermis evolution lycophyte root cap roots spatial transcriptomics

More Related Videos

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Published on: January 14, 2016

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification TRAP to Investigate Arabidopsis thaliana Root Development at a Cell Type-Specific Scale

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification TRAP to Investigate Arabidopsis thaliana Root Development at a Cell Type-Specific Scale

Published on: May 14, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Isolation and Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Cell Types

Isolation and Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Cell Types

Published on: April 7, 2023

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize

Published on: January 14, 2016

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification TRAP to Investigate Arabidopsis thaliana Root Development at a Cell Type-Specific Scale

Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification TRAP to Investigate Arabidopsis thaliana Root Development at a Cell Type-Specific Scale

Published on: May 14, 2020

Area of Science:

Plant Biology
Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Genomics

Background:

Plant roots evolved independently in lycophytes and euphyllophytes, with early vascular plants lacking roots.
The root apical meristem organization is well-studied in euphyllophytes (e.g., Arabidopsis) but less understood in lycophytes.
Investigating lycophyte root evolution reveals molecular innovations and conserved developmental mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the molecular basis of root development in the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii using spatial transcriptomics.
To compare gene expression patterns and regulatory mechanisms between lycophyte and euphyllophyte roots.
To identify novel genes and pathways involved in lycophyte root cap formation.

Main Methods:

Spatial transcriptomics to analyze gene expression in 97 root-related genes in Selaginella moellendorffii.
Interaction and complementation assays for SHORTROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) homologs.
Functional analysis of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX13 (WOX13) gene SmWOX13a in Selaginella and Arabidopsis.

Main Results:

Many root development genes in Selaginella show expression patterns similar to seed plants, suggesting convergent evolution.
SHR and SCR homologs support conserved ground tissue regulation between lycophytes and euphyllophytes.
SmWOX13a plays a key role in Selaginella root cap formation and can induce root cap cells in Arabidopsis, indicating conserved function in non-seed plants.

Conclusions:

Root development in lycophytes and seed plants shares conserved mechanisms, particularly for ground tissue regulation.
Root cap formation exhibits divergence, with a novel role for WOX13 genes in lycophytes and ferns.
This study provides a valuable spatial transcriptomic resource for Selaginella roots, advancing our understanding of plant root evolution.