Coordinated MBW, GIS, and RSL Regulatory Networks in Plant Epidermal Patterning Under Environmental Cues

A root-cap-specific transcriptional network controls root hair elongation and nutrient foraging.

Root hairs (RHs) are critical for nutrient acquisition, yet the mechanisms by which their elongation is calibrated to environmental cues remain poorly understood. While the lateral root cap (LRC) physically encases the root tip, its potential regulatory role in determining the fate of the neighboring epidermis has been largely overlooked. In this study, we demonstrate that the persistence of LRC is required for a transient signaling hub that remotely controls RH elongation in Arabidopsis. The LRC-localized NAC transcription factor SOMBRERO acts as the integrative hub of an auxin-driven communication pathway between the LRC and epidermis. Specifically, ANAC033/SOMBRERO (SMB) coordinates auxin transport and biosynthesis by regulating the expression of AUX1 and the indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)-to-IAA conversion gene ECH2, which cooperatively create auxin maxima in the epidermis to drive RH elongation. Furthermore, we showed that SOMBRERO is required for maintaining basal expression levels of genes associated with RH development and acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorus, thereby regulating the RH responses to external nutrient conditions. Our findings uncover a non-cell-autonomous mechanism within the LRC through which SMB activates a precise transcriptional circuit that is coordinated with the LRC developmental program to optimize RH foraging strategies under fluctuating environments.

Navigating shoot apical meristem plasticity for plant adaptation.

Plants exhibit striking developmental plasticity, driven by stem cell populations within meristematic tissues such as the shoot apical meristem (SAM). While the genetic networks governing stem cell homeostasis are well-characterized, recent studies reveal that the SAM also functions as an active environmental sensor to modulate growth plasticity. This Tansley review synthesizes advances in how the SAM perceives and integrates key environmental signals - including light, temperature, oxygen, and humidity - to direct adaptive growth. We detail the molecular mechanisms, such as photoreceptor-mediated activation, thermal resilience pathways, hypoxia sensing, hydraulic dynamics, and mechanical signalling, that regulate stem cell activity. Furthermore, we explore how these environmental cues couple with developmental programs to fine-tune meristem function and organogenesis. By drawing parallels to the environmental regulation of root meristem development, we highlight conserved sensing and signalling modules within meristematic tissues that influence plant growth plasticity. Examining this interplay both in shoot and in root meristems, from evolutionary and applied perspectives, underscores how environmental responsiveness of stem cell niches regulates plant adaptation, informing strategies for engineering climate-resilient crops.

HY5: a transcription factor integrating environmental and endogenous signals in plant development and acclimation.

Smart Scaffolds: How WD40 Proteins Integrate Plant Development, Metabolism, and Stress Adaptation.

A review of WD40 repeat proteins strengthens current findings relating their structural properties, molecular mechanisms, and functional diversity, underscoring their potential as targets for developing stress-resilient, high-yield crops in a changing climate.

MYB transcription factors coordinate plant growth, metabolism and environmental adaptation.

The MYB transcription factors family constitutes one of the largest and most functionally diversified regulatory gene families in plants. Beyond their established roles in growth and development, MYB TFs function as central integrators of metabolic reprogramming and environmental adaptation by coordinating developmental processes, secondary metabolism, hormone signaling, and stress-responsive pathways. Despite substantial progress in elucidating the functions of individual MYB members, a systematic synthesis linking their structural diversification, evolutionary expansion, and functional specialization-particularly regarding horticultural crops and comparative regulatory mechanisms across plant species, remains limited. Here, we comprehensively summarize the structural organization, phylogenetic classification, and regulatory versatility of plant MYB transcription factors. Special emphasis is placed on their integrative roles in morphological development, secondary metabolism, stress adaptation, and hormone-mediated signaling networks. By consolidating recent advances and highlighting cross-regulatory interactions, this review establishes a conceptual framework for understanding how MYB transcription factors coordinate growth and stress, metabolic plasticity, and quality trait formation. Finally, we discuss emerging opportunities and challenges for exploiting MYB regulatory networks in precision breeding and molecular engineering, providing a theoretical basis for developing climate-resilient, high-quality crop varieties.

B-Box (BBX) proteins and transcriptional regulation: dynamics, signaling and functions in plants.

This review synthesizes recent progress in how BBX activity is modulated through chromatin remodeling, alternative splicing and E3-ligase-mediated protein stability, among other mechanisms, and proposes that understanding BBX function requires a shift from identifying isolated target genes to decoding the combinatorial logic of their interactions.