MYB36 controls differentiation of the endodermis into an ion-selective barrier

根是从土壤中获取植物生长和发育所必需的水分和矿物质养分的主要器官。根中的特化细胞层，称为内皮层，在这些过程中起着至关重要的作用，通过调节水和矿物质营养物质进入植物的维管系统以运输到地上部。对这些功能至关重要的是凯氏带，这种结构在细胞之间形成紧密的密封，阻止营养物质和水分在细胞之间泄漏。因此，营养物质和水分进入血管系统的唯一途径是通过内皮层。通过阻止细胞周围的渗漏，凯氏带允许内皮层提供由根吸收的营养和水的细胞控制。此外，为了仅允许运输生长和发育所需的营养素，内皮层含有蛋白质，其允许特定的营养素从土壤穿过内皮层定向运输到脉管系统中。尽管它的重要性，参与这个细胞层如何变得专门执行这些功能的分子机制在很大程度上是未知的。在这里，我们建议使用新发现的MYB36转录因子作为工具来确定这些分子机制，该转录因子已知通过调节凯氏带的发育来参与控制内皮层的分化。

Roots are the primary organ that acquires the water and mineral nutrients from the soil essential for plant growth and development. A specialized cell layer in the root, called the endodermis, plays a vital role in these processes by regulating entry of water and mineral nutrients into the vascular system of the plant for transport to the shoot. Of critical important to these functions are Casparian strips, structures that form tight seals between cells, blocking nutrients and water leaking between. The only route for nutrients and water into the vascular system is thus through the endodermis. By blocking leakage around cells Casparian strips allow the endodermis to provide cellular control of nutrient and water uptake by roots. Furthermore, to allow the transport of only the nutrients required for growth and development the endodermis contains proteins that allow specific nutrients to be transported directionally across the endodermis from the soil into the vascular system. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms involved in how this cell layer becomes specialized to perform these functions are largely unknown. Here, we propose to identify these molecular mechanisms using as a tool the newly discovered MYB36 transcription factor that is know to be involved in controlling the differentiation of the endodermis through regulating the development of Casparian strips.