Divining Roots: uncovering how SUMO-mediated responses control developmental plasticity

粮食安全是一个重大的全球问题。迫切需要大幅提高作物产量，以满足到2050年世界人口的增长。作物从土壤中有效吸收水分和养分的能力取决于其根系对这些资源的响应。例如，当根与水接触时，采用称为水力图案化的机制优先形成分支。了解根系分枝的调控在农学上具有重要意义。本研究项目将研究水图案化是如何根据水的可用性定位新的根系分枝的。我们的研究项目试图“填补”根感测水的可用性，然后分支之间的差距。为了帮助我们的研究，我们已经确定了植物信号和基因，如生长素和ARF7，这对这一过程很重要。几个有前途的过程也将被表征，包括一个修改ARF7的开关根分支。从这项研究中获得的知识将提供有关控制根分支的关键基因和过程的新信息，以响应水的可用性，帮助科学家设计新的方法来操纵根结构，以提高作物的资源捕获和产量。

Food security represents a major global issue. Significant improvements in crop yields are urgently required to meet the increase in world population by 2050. The ability of a crop to efficiently absorb water and nutrients from soil is dependent on its root system responding to the availability of these resources. For example, roots preferentially form branches when in contact with water employing a mechanism called hydropatterning. Understanding the regulation of root branching is of vital agronomic importance.This research project will investigate how hydropatterning works to position new root branches in response to water availability. Our research project attempts to 'fill in the gaps' between roots sensing water availability and then branching. To help our studies, we have already identified plant signals and genes such as auxin and ARF7 that are important for this process. Several promising processes will also be characterised including one that modifies ARF7 that switches on root branching. The knowledge gained from this study will provide new information about the key genes and processes controlling root branching in response to water availability, helping scientists design novel approaches to manipulate root architecture to enhance resource capture and yield in crops.