Summary Plants interact with root microbes via chemical signaling, which modulates competence or symbiosis. Although several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fungi may affect plant growth and development, the signal transduction pathways mediating VOC sensing are not fully understood. 6‐pentyl‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one (6‐PP) is a major VOC biosynthesized by Trichoderma spp. which is probably involved in plant–fungus cross‐kingdom signaling. Using microscopy and confocal imaging, the effects of 6‐PP on root morphogenesis were found to be correlated with DR5:GFP, DR5:VENUS, H2B::GFP, PIN1::PIN1::GFP, PIN2::PIN2::GFP, PIN3::PIN3::GFP and PIN7::PIN7::GFP gene expression. A genetic screen for primary root growth resistance to 6‐PP in wild‐type seedlings and auxin‐ and ethylene‐related mutants allowed identification of genes controlling root architectural responses to this metabolite. Trichoderma atroviride produced 6‐PP, which promoted plant growth and regulated root architecture, inhibiting primary root growth and inducing lateral root formation. 6‐PP modulated expression of PIN auxin‐transport proteins in a specific and dose‐dependent manner in primary roots. TIR1, AFB2 and AFB3 auxin receptors and ARF7 and ARF19 transcription factors influenced the lateral root response to 6‐PP, whereas EIN2 modulated 6‐PP sensing in primary roots. These results indicate that root responses to 6‐PP involve components of auxin transport and signaling and the ethylene‐response modulator EIN2.

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Root system architecture is a major determinant of water and nutrient acquisition as well as stress tolerance in plants. The Mediator complex is a conserved multiprotein complex that acts as a universal adaptor between transcription factors and the RNA polymerase II. In this article, we characterize possible roles of the MEDIATOR8 (MED8) and MED25 subunits of the plant Mediator complex in the regulation of root system architecture in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found that loss-of-function mutations in PHYTOCHROME AND FLOWERING TIME1 (PFT1)/MED25 increase primary and lateral root growth as well as lateral and adventitious root formation. In contrast, PFT1/MED25 overexpression reduces these responses, suggesting that PFT1/MED25 is an important element of meristematic cell proliferation and cell size control in both lateral and primary roots. PFT1/MED25 negatively regulates auxin transport and response gene expression in most parts of the plant, as evidenced by increased and decreased expression of the auxin-related reporters PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1)::PIN1::GFP (for green fluorescent protein), DR5:GFP, DR5:uidA, and BA3:uidA in pft1-2 mutants and in 35S:PFT1 seedlings, respectively. No alterations in endogenous auxin levels could be found in pft1-2 mutants or in 35S:PFT1-overexpressing seedlings. However, detailed analyses of DR5:GFP and DR5:uidA activity in wildtype, pft1-2, and 35S:PFT1 seedlings in response to indole-3-acetic acid, naphthaleneacetic acid, and the polar auxin transport inhibitor 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid indicated that PFT1/MED25 principally regulates auxin transport and response. These results provide compelling evidence for a new role for PFT1/MED25 as an important transcriptional regulator of root system architecture through auxin-related mechanisms in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis med12 and med13 mutants exhibit shoot and root phenotypes related to an altered auxin homeostasis. Sucrose supplementation reactivates both cell division and elongation in primary roots as well as auxin-responsive and stem cell niche gene expression in these mutants. An analysis of primary root growth of WT, med12, aux1-7 and med12 aux1 single and double mutants in response to sucrose and/or N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) placed MED12 upstream of auxin transport for the sugar modulation of root growth. The MEDIATOR (MED) complex plays diverse functions in plant development, hormone signaling and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance through coordination of transcription. Here, we performed genetic, developmental, molecular and pharmacological analyses to characterize the role of MED12 and MED13 on the configuration of root architecture and its relationship with auxin and sugar responses. Arabidopsis med12 and med13 single mutants exhibit shoot and root phenotypes consistent with altered auxin homeostasis including altered primary root growth, lateral root development, and root hair elongation. MED12 and MED13 were required for activation of cell division and elongation in primary roots, as well as auxin-responsive and stem cell niche gene expression. Remarkably, most of these mutant phenotypes were rescued by supplying sucrose to the growth medium. The growth response of primary roots of WT, med12, aux1-7 and med12 aux1 single and double mutants to sucrose and application of auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) revealed the correlation of med12 phenotype with the activity of the auxin intake permease and suggests that MED12 acts upstream of AUX1 in the root growth response to sugar. These data provide compelling evidence that MEDIATOR links sugar sensing to auxin transport and distribution during root morphogenesis.

Pyocyanin acts as a virulence factor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a plant and animal pathogen. In this study, we evaluated the effect of pyocyanin on growth and development of Arabidopsis seedlings. Root inoculation with P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain inhibited primary root growth in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis seedlings. In contrast, single lasI– and double rhlI–/lasI– mutants of P. aeruginosa defective in pyocyanin production showed decreased root growth inhibition concomitant with an increased phytostimulation. Treatment with pyocyanin modulates root system architecture, inhibiting primary root growth and promoting lateral root and root hair formation without affecting meristem viability or causing cell death. These effects correlated with altered proportions of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide in root tips and with an inhibition of cell division and elongation. Mutant analyses showed that pyocyanin modulation of root growth was likely independent of auxin, cytokinin, and abscisic acid but required ethylene signaling because the Arabidopsis etr1-1, ein2-1, and ein3-1 ethylene-related mutants were less sensitive to pyocyanin-induced root stoppage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) distribution. Our findings suggest that pyocyanin is an important factor modulating the interplay between ROS production and root system architecture by an ethylene-dependent signaling.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is a bioactive indoleamine with neurotransmitter function in vertebrates, which represents an emerging signaling molecule in plants, playing key roles in the development and defense. In this study, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and jasmonic acid (JA)-ethylene (Et) signaling in root developmental alterations induced by serotonin was investigated. An Arabidopsis thaliana mutant defective at the RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 (RCD1) locus was resistant to paraquat-induced ROS accumulation in primary roots and showed decreased inhibition or root growth in response to serotonin. A suite of JA- and Et-related mutants including coronatine insensitive1, jasmonic acid resistant1 (jar1), etr1, ein2 and ein3 showed tolerance to serotonin in the inhibition of primary root growth and ROS redistribution within the root tip when compared with wild-type (WT) seedlings. Competence assays between serotonin and AgNO3 , a well-known blocker of Et action, showed that primary root growth in medium supplemented with serotonin was normalized by AgNO3 , whereas roots of eto3, an Et overproducer mutant, were oversensitive to serotonin. Comparison of ROS levels in WT, etr1, jar1 and rcd1 primary root tips using the ROS-specific probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate and confocal imaging showed that serotonin inhibition of primary root growth likely occurs independently of its conversion into melatonin. Our results provide compelling evidence that serotonin affects ROS distribution in roots, involving RCD1 and components of the JA-Et signaling pathways.

Soil contamination by hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI) or chromate] due to anthropogenic activities has become an increasingly important environmental problem. To date few studies have been performed to elucidate the signaling networks involved on adaptive responses to (CrVI) toxicity in plants. In this work, we report that depending upon its concentration, Cr(VI) alters in different ways the architecture of the root system in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Low concentrations of Cr (20-40 µM) promoted primary root growth, while concentrations higher than 60 µM Cr repressed growth and increased formation of root hairs, lateral root primordia and adventitious roots. We analyzed global gene expression changes in seedlings grown in media supplied with 20 or 140 µM Cr. The level of 731 transcripts was significantly modified in response to Cr treatment with only five genes common to both Cr concentrations. Interestingly, 23 genes related to iron (Fe) acquisition were up-regulated including IRT1, YSL2, FRO5, BHLH100, BHLH101 and BHLH039 and the master controllers of Fe deficiency responses PYE and BTS were specifically activated in pericycle cells. It was also found that increasing concentration of Cr in the plant correlated with a decrease in Fe content, but increased both acidification of the rhizosphere and activity of the ferric chelate reductase. Supply of Fe to Cr-treated Arabidopsis allowed primary root to resume growth and alleviated toxicity symptoms, indicating that Fe nutrition is a major target of Cr stress in plants. Our results show that low Cr levels are beneficial to plants and that toxic Cr concentrations activate a low-Fe rescue system.

Plants host a diverse microbiome and differentially react to the fungal species living as endophytes or around their roots through emission of volatiles. Here, using divided Petri plates for Arabidopsis-T. atroviride co-cultivation, we show that fungal volatiles increase endogenous sugar levels in shoots, roots and root exudates, which improve Arabidopsis root growth and branching and strengthen the symbiosis. Tissue-specific expression of three sucrose phosphate synthase-encoding genes (AtSPS1F, AtSPS2F and AtSPS3F), and AtSUC2 and SWEET transporters revealed that the gene expression signatures differ from those of the fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria alternata and that AtSUC2 is largely repressed either by increasing carbon availability or by perception of the fungal volatile 6-pentyl-2Hpyran-2-one. Our data point to Trichoderma volatiles as chemical signatures for sugar biosynthesis and exudation and unveil specific modulation of a critical, long-distance sucrose transporter in the plant.