About this Research Topic
In recent studies using model plant species, understanding root responses to each environmental cue at the molecular level has greatly advanced. However, our knowledge of how roots integrate several environmental factors is still limited, compared to shoot responses. This article collection aims to deepen our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying how roots perceive each environmental cue they face simultaneously. We also aim to show how they integrate several signals into a distinct response. For example, roots constantly sense gravity, water, nutrients, and microbes, all of which affect root system architecture. In such situations, plants use these signals to optimize their root systems. In this context, roots are exposed to both biotic and abiotic cues in parallel. Because root responses are often hidden, this article collection aims to share advances in methodologies that enable researchers to investigate the architecture and growth patterns in roots despite them being hidden underground.
We welcome contributions (original research paper and review) on the following, but not limited to, topics:
• Response of roots to simultaneous environmental stimulants, with special emphasis on its importance in plant resilience
• Molecular mechanisms of root responses to multiple environmental signals
• Molecular mechanisms regarding the perception of environmental signals and/or conversion of physical or chemical signals into biological signals
• An innovative methodology that visualizes and/or enables quantitative analyses of root behavior.
Research using the model and non-model plants is welcome. Please note that manuscripts containing only purely confirmatory data or descriptive findings reporting the purification of proteins, the cloning of genes, and the isolation of new mutants will not be considered for review. Additionally, a rehash of research using other plant species will not be reviewed.
Keywords: adaptive responses, plant nutrition, abiotic and biotic stress, crops, plant roots, plant physiology
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.