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REVIEW
Contents Vol 34(3)

Hormone signalling and root development: an update on the latest Arabidopsis thaliana research

Jose Manuel Perez-Perez
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Division de Genetica and Instituto de Bioingenieria, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Edificio Vinalopo, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain. Email: jmperez@umh.es

Functional Plant Biology 34(3) 163-171 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP06341
Submitted: 27 December 2006  Accepted: 23 February 2007   Published: 22 March 2007

Abstract

Plants are sessile organisms whose developmental programs depend mainly on environmental cues that are sensed and interpreted through hormonal signalling pathways. Roots are specialised plant organs that are instrumental during water and nutrient uptake, biotic interactions, stress responses and for mechanical support. Our knowledge about the basic molecular events shaping root patterning and growth has advanced significantly in the past few years thanks to the use of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. as a model system. In this review, I will discuss recent findings that indicate crosstalk between growth regulators and hormone signalling pathways during primary root development. Further comparative research using non-model species will shed light on the conserved developmental modules among distant lineages involved in root architecture.

Additional keywords: cell fate, hormone crosstalk, pattern formation, signal transduction, transcription factor.


Acknowledgements

I thank Ari Pekka Mahonen, Ben Scheres and two anonymous referees for their suggestions to improve the manuscript. Thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education (MEC) for funding. JMP-P. holds a ‘Juan de la Cierva’ research contract at the Universidad Miguel Hernandez (UMH).


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