Researchers Use CRISPR Gene Editing to Shed Light on Plant Roots Branching

Researchers at Rothamsted Research have discovered that a sugar molecule that is common in many plant and bacterial biochemical pathways may be critical in determining when plant roots branch.  Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a simple sugar based on two conjoined glucose molecules, appears to be the vital intermediary between hormone signaling and lateral root development.

The research team used various techniques, including CRISPR gene editing technology, to modulate signaling pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana to work out the role of T6P. The sugar increases root branching through coordinated inhibition of some enzymes (kinases) and activation of others. The plant hormone auxin remains the master regulator of lateral root formation, but it impacts this T6P function by regulating a  degrader enzyme.

The study found that a regulatory energy balance network for lateral root formation links the novel ‘sugar signal' T6P to the kinases downstream of auxin.

"Knowledge of this mechanism may provide an opportunity to modify it for yield and resilience through gene editing, genetic selection and the chemical T6P methodology, now being successfully utilized as a field spray to increase crop yields," said Dr. Matthew Paul, a plant scientist at Rothamsted Research.

For more details, read the article on the Rothamsted Research website.