Salt in the soil arrests the growth of lateral roots, but which cells make that decision was unclear. Lina Duan and colleagues found that the stress hormone abscisic acid acts through a single internal cell layer, the endodermis, to hold newly formed lateral roots in a quiescent state. Blocking ABA signaling in the endodermis alone was enough to release that arrest, showing that one cell type can govern the growth of an entire organ. The quiescent state is reversible, allowing roots to resume growth when conditions improve.
Coverage: Carnegie Science
Duan L, Dietrich D, Ng CH, Chan PMY, Bhalerao R, Bennett MJ, Dinneny JR (2013) Endodermal ABA signaling promotes lateral root quiescence during salt stress in Arabidopsis seedlings. Plant Cell 25(1):324-341. doi: 10.1105/tpc.112.107227
Dinneny lab 