Understanding the role of the auxin minimum in regulating the transition from division to differentiation in the Root Apical Meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant development involves the unceasing generation of new structures, driven by the activity of meristems, groups of cells that continuously divide and differentiate to generate new tissues and organs. Within meristems, the transition from cell division to differentiation is tightly regulated to ensure proper growth rate. In the Root Apical Meristem (RAM) of Arabidopsis thaliana, cells destined to become different root tissues stop dividing and start differentiating in a coordinated manner at the Transition Zone (TZ). The positioning of the TZ is functionally correlated to the presence of an auxin minimum that triggers cells to differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the auxin minimum instructs this transition are still unknown. To understand this, we created an inducible system to specifically alter endogenous auxin levels. Thanks to this system, we are able, in a conditional fashion, to generate new auxin minima that are sufficient to reposition the TZ. By mean of this system, combined with transcriptomic analysis and cell tracking, we will identify molecular players that are necessary and sufficient to mediate the auxin minimum formative instructions.