PAGFBL1 PROMOTES ADVENTITIOUS ROOT FORMATION IN POPLAR
PAGFBL1 PROMOTES ADVENTITIOUS ROOT FORMATION IN POPLAR
Adventitious roots occur naturally in many species, and can also be induced from explants of some tree species including poplar, providing an important means of clonal propagation. Auxin has been identified as playing a crucial role in adventitious root formation, but the associated mechanism needs to be explored.
Led by Wenbo Shu, a Chinese Academy of Forestry research team studied the role of PagFBL1, a homolog of the Arabidopsis auxin receptor TIR1 in hybrid poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosaclone 84K), in its adventitious root formation.
PagFBL1 expression was found to be concentrated in the cambium and secondary phloem in stems during adventitious root induction and initiation phases. Overexpressing PagFBL1stimulated adventitious root formation and increased root biomass. Meanwhile, knockdown of PagFBL1 resulted in delayed adventitious root formation and decreased root biomass.
This study suggests that PagFBL1 promotes adventitious rooting and could be targeted to improve Populus propagation by cuttings.
For more information, read the article in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
