Two lateral root primordia develop from the main root of Arabidopsis thaliana. The images (with false colours) were taken with a confocal microscope. |
Along with sugar reallocation, a basic molecular mechanism within plants controls the formation of new lateral roots. An international team of plant biologists has demonstrated that it is based on the activity of a certain factor, the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein. A better understanding of the processes that regulate root branching at the molecular level could contribute to improving plant growth and therefore crop yields, according to research team leader Alexis Maizel of the Centre for Organismal Studies at Heidelberg University. Good root growth ensures that plants can absorb sufficient nutrients and grow, thus contributing to their general fitness.
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