Plant roots show substantial “developmental plasticity” that enables them to form de novo organs that are critical for plant growth, productivity and fitness. We have identified a key gene family that regulates lateral organ formation in roots in response to nutrient and environmental cues. Image A shows control roots of model legume Medicago truncatula. Image B shows periodic bump formation due to the ectopic expression of one of the regulatory genes. Image C shows changes in auxin distribution caused by this ectopic expression.
(Image and caption: Nijat Imin and Michael Djordjevic).

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