Environmental regulation of root architecture by a gene controlling auxin transport

This proposal will investigate mechanisms by which plants control root architecture in response to environmental change. Root systems show a high degree of plasticity so that the length and branching of roots is optimised for the availability of resources in the soil. We found previously that a gene controlling symbiotic nodule numbers plays an important role in regulating root branching in response to carbon and nitrogen availability by modulating the transport of the plant hormone auxin from shoot to root. This proposal aims to find out how this gene translates the plant nutrient status into developmental changes, whether homologous genes from other species play a similar role and whether the gene confers an adaptive advantage to plants.