2024/11/14 by Baojun Yang, Yanbiao Sun, Max Minne +9 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant Molecular Biology Research #Plant Reproductive Biology #Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
paper · doi:10.1126/science.ado4298
openalex publication_date 2024/11/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Oriented cell divisions are crucial for determining the overall morphology and size of plants, but what controls the onset and duration of this process remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a small molecule that activates root apical meristem (RAM) expression of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE13 (SPL13) a known player in the shoot’s juvenile-to-adult transition. This expression leads to oriented cell divisions in the RAM through SHORT ROOT (SHR) and cell cycle regulators. We further show that the RAM has distinct juvenile and adult phases typed by morphological and molecular characteristics and that SPL factors are crucially required for this transition in Arabidopsis and rice ( Oryza sativa ). In summary, we provide molecular insights into the age-dependent morphological changes occurring in the RAM during phase change.