Discovering the developmental transition of cortical parenchyma cells into different cell fates

Introduction

The root cortex is a primary ground tissue of the root organ and plays an important and adaptive role in plant growth and function. Root cortical parenchyma, thin-walled cells in the cortex, have great potential to change both in structure and function during plant development, even after cell differentiation.

Cell Differentiation and Tissue Formation

Root cortical cells can have many different post-differentiation fates that form different cortical tissues (e.g., aerenchyma, exodermis) in succession, or even simultaneously through the deposition or degradation of lignin and suberin and programmed cell death.

The formation of these different cortical tissues has the potential to influence stress adaptation and plant performance, for example by:

• Altering the radial movement of water and solutes
• Enhancing the metabolic efficiency required for nutrient exploitation
• Modifying the synthesis and deposition of exudates

Research Objectives

I will investigate the developmental transition of cortical cells into different cell fates and the extent to which root cortical parenchyma have different cell fate trajectories to form simultaneous or successive cortical tissues.

I will discover:

1. The potential of tissues for synergistic interactions to capture soil resources and modify rhizosphere properties
2. The genes that control these processes at a single-cell resolution to discover when and where signals occur in the cortex

Methodology

I will use a combination of breakthrough technologies and interdisciplinary expertise including:

• State-of-the-art imaging
• Analytical chemistry
• Microbial ecology
• Cutting-edge molecular biology methods

This approach will help tackle the fundamental questions of how and why root cortical parenchyma have different post-differentiation cell fates.

Impact

FATE will enable us to engineer crop roots to optimize soil foraging and resource capture. The payoffs of this project will be significant for European agriculture, as nutrient limitation is a primary constraint on crop growth and will become an increasing challenge due to climate change.