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bioRxiv · 10.1101/337162

β-cyclocitral is a natural root growth regulator

Dickinson, A. J.·Lehner, K.·Mijar, M.·Benfey, P. N.
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Abstract

Natural compounds capable of increasing root depth and branching are desirable tools for enhancing stress tolerance in crops. We devised a sensitized screen to identify natural metabolites capable of regulating root traits in Arabidopsis. {beta}-cyclocitral, an endogenous root compound, was found to promote cell divisions in root meristems and stimulate lateral root branching. {beta}-cyclocitral rescued meristematic cell divisions in ccd1ccd4 biosynthesis mutants and {beta}-cyclocitral-driven root growth was found to be independent of auxin, brassinosteroid, and ROS signaling pathways. {beta}-cyclocitral had a conserved effect on root growth in tomato and rice and generated significantly more compact crown root systems in rice. Moreover, {beta}-cyclocitral treatment enhanced plant vigor in rice plants exposed to salt-contaminated soil. These results indicate that {beta}-cyclocitral is a broadly effective root growth promoter in both monocots and eudicots and could be a valuable tool to enhance crop vigor under environmental stress.\n\nOne Sentence Summary{beta}-cyclocitral is a metabolite of {beta}-carotene that was identified using a sensitized chemical screen and acts broadly across plants to enhance root growth and branching.

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Dickinson, A. J., Lehner, K., Mijar, M., Benfey, P. N.. 2018-06-03. β-cyclocitral is a natural root growth regulator. https://doi.org/10.1101/337162

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