Roots are central to a plant’s survival and productivity, determining the plant’s access to nutrients and water and, therefore, its ability to tolerate nutrient depletion and extreme weather, like drought. Professor Wolfgang Busch, postdoctoral researcher Wenrong He, and colleagues recently determined how a well-known plant hormone controls the angle at which roots grow. The study is the first time the plant hormone, called ethylene, has been shown to be involved in regulating the lateral root angles that shape root systems—providing key insights for plant scientists looking to optimize root systems. Researchers in Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative now plan to target the ethylene signaling pathway in their efforts to engineer plants and crops that can withstand the environmental stresses of climate change and drought.
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02/2024
