Identifying components of protein recycling pathways for root growth in Arabidopsis to explore targets for sustainable agriculture

Roots remain an underexplored area of research for the development of sustainable agricultural practices, despite evidence suggesting that they play a crucial role in stabilizing and improving crop yields under increased environmental stressors caused by climate change (Reynolds et al., 2021; Herms, 2022). Optimizing root growth can increase water and nutrient scavenging, allowing for reductions in crop inputs while maintaining production levels (Voothuluru et al., 2024). Plants have a toolbox of adaptations associated with, quite literally, being rooted in place. For instance, roots can respond to available resources in the soil by growing toward water as well as other essential nutrients. This response to the environment is possible because of the tightly regulated population of integral membrane proteins that exist in the plasma membrane. For example, receptor like kinases found on the plasma membrane couple the sensing of extracellular ligands, such as the macronutrient phosphorous, to the initiation of intracellular phosphorylation cascades that result in changes in gene expression, that in turn cause changes in root growth. Cellular mechanisms affecting protein recycling have been linked to root and root hair growth and therefore are important considerations for cultivar and breeding selections.