Laboratory of cell and molecular biology

Our lab investigates how chemical signals and mechanical forces work together to regulate spatial accommodation during plant development. Plant cells experience immense turgor pressure, higher than a car tire, exerting significant forces on cell walls and driving shape changes. Unlike in animals, plants have evolved unique mechanisms to control organ formation under these conditions. However, the interplay between mechanical forces and cellular reorganization remains poorly understood.

We use lateral root formation in Arabidopsis thaliana and Braqchypodium distachyon as a model system. Lateral roots originate deep in the primary root’s pericycle layer and grow outward through the endodermis, cortex, and epidermis. We discovered that endodermal cells actively accommodate this process by losing volume and degrading their lignin-based diffusion barrier. Genetic interference with these responses blocks pericycle cell proliferation and halts lateral root formation.

This system offers a unique opportunity to study how mechanical forces and intercellular communication coordinate spatial accommodation. Unlike epidermal cells that restrict or allow expansion, endodermal cells must reduce their volume to enable lateral root growth.

We employ genetic screens, transcript profiling, and advanced live-cell imaging to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving these processes. Insights gained will have broad implications for other spatial accommodation processes, such as pollen tube growth, infection thread formation, sclerenchyma development, and symbiont accommodation.

Our Research