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PMID: 20409273 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review

Getting to the root of plant biology: impact of the Arabidopsis genome sequence on root research.

The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology ·Vol. 61 ·No. 6 ·2010-03-00 ·Pages 992-1000

Benfey PN, Bennett M, Schiefelbein J

Abstract

Prior to the availability of the genome sequence, the root of Arabidopsis had attracted a small but ardent group of researchers drawn to its accessibility and developmental simplicity. Roots are easily observed when grown on the surface of nutrient agar media, facilitating analysis of responses to stimuli such as gravity and touch. Developmental biologists were attracted to the simple radial organization of primary root tissues, which form a series of concentric cylinders around the central vascular tissue. Equally attractive was the mode of propagation, with stem cells at the tip giving rise to progeny that were confined to cell files. These properties of root development reduced the normal four-dimensional problem of development (three spatial dimensions and time) to a two-dimensional problem, with cell type on the radial axis and developmental time along the longitudinal axis. The availability of the complete Arabidopsis genome sequence has dramatically accelerated traditional genetic research on root biology, and has also enabled entirely new experimental strategies to be applied. Here we review examples of the ways in which availability of the Arabidopsis genome sequence has enhanced progress in understanding root biology.

MeSH Terms
Arabidopsis/genetics,growth & development Gene Expression Profiling Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Gene Regulatory Networks Genome, Plant Genomics Plant Roots/genetics,growth & development
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Benfey Philip N
Department of Biology, Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Center for Systems Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. [email protected]
Bennett Malcolm
Schiefelbein John
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Article Info
Journal
The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
Abbr.
Plant J
ISSN
1365-313X
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-313X.2010.04129.x
Email
[email protected]
Published
2010-03-00
Pages
992-1000
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
9207397
PMCID
PMC2967761
Subset
IM
Grants
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council · BB/G023972/1 · United Kingdom
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM043778-21 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · P50 GM081883-020003 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM043778 · United States
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council · BB/D019613/1 · United Kingdom
NIGMS NIH HHS · P50 GM081883-030003 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM043778-19 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · P50 GM081883 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM043778-20 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2010.04129.x PMC Full Text View journal details
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