Yinwei Zeng, Inge Verstraeten, Hoang Khai Trinh, Robin Lardon, Sebastien Schotte, Damilola Olatunji, Thomas Heugebaert, Christian Stevens, Mussa Quareshy, Richard Napier, Sara Paola Nastasi, Alex Costa, Bert De Rybel, Catherine Bellini, Tom Beeckman, Steffen Vanneste, Danny Geelen

Upon exposure to light, etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings form adventitious roots (AR) along the hypocotyl. While processes underlying lateral root formation are studied intensively, comparatively little is known about the molecular processes involved in the initiation of hypocotyl AR. AR and LR formation were studied using a small molecule named Hypocotyl Specific Adventitious Root INducer (HYSPARIN) that strongly induces AR but not LR formation. Analysis of HYSPARIN-induced AR formation uncovers an evolutionary conservation of auxin signalling controlling LR and AR induction in Arabidopsis seedlings and identifies SAUR19, OFP4 and AGC2 kinase as novel regulators of AR formation.

New Phytologist. October 2023