title: Root Architecture Diversity and Meristem Dynamics in Different Populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Arabidopsis thaliana has been an excellent model system for molecular genetic approaches to development and physiology. More recently, the potential of studying various accessions collected from diverse habitats has been started to exploit. Col-0 has been the best-studied accession but we now know that several traits show significant divergences among them. In this work, we focused in the root that has become a key system for development. We studied root architecture and growth dynamics of 12 Arabidopsis accessions. Our data reveal a wide variability in root architecture and root length among accessions. We also found variability in the root apical meristem (RAM), explained mainly by cell size at the RAM transition domain and possibly by peculiar forms of organization at the stem cell niche in some accessions. Contrary to Col-0 reports, in some accessions the RAM size not always explains the variations in the root length; indicating that elongated cell size could be more relevant in the determination of root length than the RAM size itself. This study contributes to investigations dealing with understanding the molecular and cellular basis of phenotypic variation, the role of plasticity on adaptation, and the developmental mechanisms that may restrict phenotypic variation in response to contrasting environmental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de Plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aceves-García
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de Plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: Elena R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Buylla
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de Plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garay-Arroyo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de Plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: Berenice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: García-Ponce
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Epigenética, Desarrollo y Evolución de Plantas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Mexico.
authors.forename: María de la Paz
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Sánchez
keywords: Arabidopsis accessions; RAM; natural variation; root morphology; stem cell niche