β-Cyclocitral is a conserved root growth regulator

First author: Alexandra J. Dickinson; Affiliations: Duke University (杜克大学): Durham, USA

Corresponding author: Philip N. Benfey

Natural compounds capable of increasing root depth and branching are desirable tools for enhancing stress tolerance in crops. We devised a sensitized screen to identify natural metabolites capable of regulating root traits in Arabidopsis. β-Cyclocitral, an endogenous root compound, was found to promote cell divisions in root meristems and stimulate lateral root branching. β-Cyclocitral rescued meristematic cell divisions in ccd1 ccd4 biosynthesis mutants, and β-cyclocitral–driven root growth was found to be independent of auxin, brassinosteroid, and reactive oxygen species signaling pathways. β-Cyclocitral had a conserved effect on root growth in tomato and rice and generated significantly more compact crown root systems in rice. Moreover, β-cyclocitral treatment enhanced plant vigor in rice plants exposed to salt-contaminated soil. These results indicate that β-cyclocitral is a broadly effective root growth promoter in both monocots and eudicots and could be a valuable tool to enhance crop vigor under environmental stress.

能够提升植物根生长深度和分枝的自然化合物是增强作物胁迫抗性的理想工具。作者设计了一个敏感筛选试验来鉴定能够增强拟南芥根性状的自然代谢物。一个内源性的根化合物β-环柠檬醛能够促进根分生组织的细胞分裂，同时刺激侧根的分枝。β-环柠檬醛能够拯救ccd1 ccd4双突变体分生组织细胞分裂缺陷表型，并且β-环柠檬醛驱动的根生长独立于生长素、油菜素内酯以及活性氧物质信号通路。β-环柠檬醛在番茄和水稻中同样具有在拟南芥中类似的作用过，并且产生明显更加紧凑的水稻根冠系统。此外，β-环柠檬醛处理能够增强生长在盐渍土条件下的水稻植株活力。这些结果揭示了β-环柠檬醛是一个广泛有效的植物根生长促进剂，能够同时作用于单、双子叶植物，能够用来增强作物在胁迫环境下的植株活力。

通讯：Philip N. Benfey（https://biology.duke.edu/people/philip-n-benfey）

个人简介：1981年，巴黎大学，学士；1986年，哈佛大学，博士。

研究方向：植物根形态发生的遗传基础。

doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821445116

Journal: PNAS

Published date: May 08, 2019