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Review

Genetic regulation of lateral root development

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Article: 2081397 | Received 06 Apr 2022, Accepted 18 May 2022, Published online: 01 Jun 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Lateral roots (LRs) are an important part of plant root systems. In dicots, for example, after plants adapted from aquatic to terrestrial environments, filamentous pseudorhizae evolved to allow nutrient absorption. A typical plant root system comprises a primary root, LRs, root hairs, and a root cap. Classical plant roots exhibit geotropism (the tendency to grow downward into the ground) and can synthesize plant hormones and other essential substances. Root vascular bundles and complex spatial structures enable plants to absorb water and nutrients to meet their nutrient quotas and grow. The primary root carries out most functions during early growth stages but is later overtaken by LRs, underscoring the importance of LR development water and mineral uptake and the soil fixation capacity of the root. LR development is modulated by endogenous plant hormones and external environmental factors, and its underlying mechanisms have been dissected in great detail in Arabidopsis, thanks to its simple root anatomy and the ease of obtaining mutants. This review comprehensively and systematically summarizes past research (largely in Arabidopsis) on LR basic structure, development stages, and molecular mechanisms regulated by different factors, as well as future prospects in LR research, to provide broad background knowledge for root researchers.

Author contributions

J.D., H.Z. and K.Z. designed the experiments. Y.Z., Y.M. and D.Z. contributed equally to this work. Y.Z., Y.M., D.Z., T.Z. and Z.T. carried out all of the experiments with technical support from J.D. H.Z. analyzed data. Y.Z., D.Z., Y.M. and H.Z. wrote the manuscript with input from J.D.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant (ZD2018085) from science and technology research project of colleges and universities in Hebei province, and funding from the Hengshui science and technology program research support project (2021014010Z).