title: Branching out in roots: uncovering form, function, and regulation.
abstract: Root branching is critical for plants to secure anchorage and ensure the supply of water, minerals, and nutrients. To date, research on root branching has focused on lateral root development in young seedlings. However, many other programs of postembryonic root organogenesis exist in angiosperms. In cereal crops, the majority of the mature root system is composed of several classes of adventitious roots that include crown roots and brace roots. In this Update, we initially describe the diversity of postembryonic root forms. Next, we review recent advances in our understanding of the genes, signals, and mechanisms regulating lateral root and adventitious root branching in the plant models Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), maize (Zea mays), and rice (Oryza sativa). While many common signals, regulatory components, and mechanisms have been identified that control the initiation, morphogenesis, and emergence of new lateral and adventitious root organs, much more remains to be done. We conclude by discussing the challenges and opportunities facing root branching research.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Traini
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Voß
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sturrock
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Sacha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.).
authors.forename: Darren M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom (J.A.A., A.R., R.T., U.V., C.S., S.J.M., D.M.W., M.J.B.); andCollege of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (M.J.B.) malcolm.bennett@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Malcolm J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009626:Terminology as Topic