During salt stress, the root system architecture of a plant is important for survival. Different accessions ofArabidopsis thalianahave adopted different strategies in remodeling their root architecture during salt stress. Salt induces a multiphase growth response in roots, consisting of a stop phase, quiescent phase, recovery phase and eventually a new level of homeostasis. We explored natural variation in the length of and growth rate during these phases in both main and lateral roots and find that some accessions lack the quiescent phase. Using mathematical models and correlation-based network, allowed us to correlate dynamic traits to overall root architecture and discover that both the main root growth rate during homeostasis and lateral root appearance are the strongest determinants of overall root architecture. In addition, this approach revealed a trade-off between investing in main or lateral root length during salt stress. By studying natural variation in high-resolution temporal root growth using mathematical modeling, we gained new insights in the interactions between dynamic root growth traits and we identified key traits that modulate overall root architecture during salt stress.
Summary statementBy studying natural variation in salt-induced root growth phases inArabidopsis, we show that main root growth rate during homeostasis and lateral root appearance contribute most to root architecture and we reveal a trade-off between investing in main and lateral root growth during salt stress.The convenient model Arabidopsis thaliana has allowed tremendous advances in plant genetics and physiology, in spite of only being a weed. It has also unveiled the main molecular networks governing, among others, abiotic stress responses. Through the use of the latest genomic tools, Arabidopsis research is nowadays being translated to agronomically interesting crop models such as tomato, but at a lagging pace. Knowledge transfer has been hindered by invariable differences in plant architecture and behaviour, as well as the divergent direct objectives of research in Arabidopsis vs. crops compromise transferability. In this sense, phenotype translation is still a very complex matter. Here, we point out the challenges of \uffe2\uff80\uff9ctranslational phenotyping\uffe2\uff80\uff9d in the case study of drought stress phenotyping in Arabidopsis and tomato. After briefly defining and describing drought stress and survival strategies, we compare drought stress protocols and phenotyping techniques most commonly used in the two species, and discuss their potential to gain insights, which are truly transferable between species. This review is intended to be a starting point for discussion about translational phenotyping approaches among plant scientists, and provides a useful compendium of methods and techniques used in modern phenotyping for this specific plant pair as a case study.
", "keywords": ["Crops", " Agricultural", "0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "9. Industry and infrastructure", "Arabidopsis", "Review", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Droughts", "03 medical and health sciences", "Phenotype", "Solanum lycopersicum", "Gene Expression Regulation", " Plant", "Stress", " Physiological", "Arabidopsis; tomato; phenotyping; drought stress; translational phenotyping; osmotic stress; Dehydration; Arabidopsis thaliana; Solanum lycopersicum; Lycopersicon esculentum", "Plant Proteins"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/898415/2/genes-11-01011-v3.pdf"}, {"href": "https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/1757296/1/genes-11-01011-v3.pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/9/1011/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11091011"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Genes", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/genes11091011", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/genes11091011", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/genes11091011"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-08-27T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.21769/bioprotoc.3799", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:20:31Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-10-19", "title": "Low-cost and High-throughput RNA-seq Library Preparation for Illumina Sequencing from Plant Tissue", "description": "Transcriptome analysis can provide clues to biological processes affected in different genetic backgrounds or/and under various conditions. The price of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has decreased enough so that medium- to large-scale transcriptome analyses in a range of conditions are feasible. However, the price and variety of options for library preparation of RNA-seq can still be daunting to those who would like to use RNA-seq for their first time or for a single experiment. Among the criteria for selecting a library preparation protocol are the method of RNA isolation, nucleotide fragmentation to obtain desired size range, and library indexing to pool sequencing samples for multiplexing. Here, we present a high-quality and a high-throughput option for preparing libraries from polyadenylated mRNA for transcriptome analysis. Both high-quality and high-throughput protocol options include steps of mRNA enrichment through magnetic bead-enabled precipitation of the poly-A tail, cDNA synthesis, and then fragmentation and adapter addition simultaneously through Tn5-mediated 'tagmentation'. All steps of the protocols have been validated with Arabidopsis thaliana leaf and seedling tissues and streamlined to work together, with minimal cost in money and time, thus intended to provide a beginner-friendly start-to-finish RNA-seq library preparation for transcriptome analysis.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "570", "0303 health sciences", "Arabidopsis thaliana", "QH301-705.5", "Plant", "580 Plants (Botany)", "Multiplexing", "Tagmentation", "03 medical and health sciences", "10126 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology", "10211 Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center", "RNA-seq", "Biology (General)", "Transcriptomics"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt44f1027m/qt44f1027m.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.21769/bioprotoc.3799"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/BIO-PROTOCOL", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.21769/bioprotoc.3799", "name": "item", "description": "10.21769/bioprotoc.3799", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.21769/bioprotoc.3799"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3093542655", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:26:16Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-10-19", "title": "Low-cost and High-throughput RNA-seq Library Preparation for Illumina Sequencing from Plant Tissue", "description": "Transcriptome analysis can provide clues to biological processes affected in different genetic backgrounds or/and under various conditions. The price of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has decreased enough so that medium- to large-scale transcriptome analyses in a range of conditions are feasible. However, the price and variety of options for library preparation of RNA-seq can still be daunting to those who would like to use RNA-seq for their first time or for a single experiment. Among the criteria for selecting a library preparation protocol are the method of RNA isolation, nucleotide fragmentation to obtain desired size range, and library indexing to pool sequencing samples for multiplexing. Here, we present a high-quality and a high-throughput option for preparing libraries from polyadenylated mRNA for transcriptome analysis. Both high-quality and high-throughput protocol options include steps of mRNA enrichment through magnetic bead-enabled precipitation of the poly-A tail, cDNA synthesis, and then fragmentation and adapter addition simultaneously through Tn5-mediated 'tagmentation'. All steps of the protocols have been validated with Arabidopsis thaliana leaf and seedling tissues and streamlined to work together, with minimal cost in money and time, thus intended to provide a beginner-friendly start-to-finish RNA-seq library preparation for transcriptome analysis.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "570", "0303 health sciences", "Arabidopsis thaliana", "QH301-705.5", "Plant", "580 Plants (Botany)", "Multiplexing", "Tagmentation", "03 medical and health sciences", "10126 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology", "10211 Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center", "RNA-seq", "Biology (General)", "Transcriptomics"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt44f1027m/qt44f1027m.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/3093542655"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/BIO-PROTOCOL", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3093542655", "name": "item", "description": "3093542655", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3093542655"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "36912402", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:26:33Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-01-29", "title": "Natural variation in salt-induced root growth phases and their contribution to root architecture plasticity", "description": "AbstractDuring salt stress, the root system architecture of a plant is important for survival. Different accessions ofArabidopsis thalianahave adopted different strategies in remodeling their root architecture during salt stress. Salt induces a multiphase growth response in roots, consisting of a stop phase, quiescent phase, recovery phase and eventually a new level of homeostasis. We explored natural variation in the length of and growth rate during these phases in both main and lateral roots and find that some accessions lack the quiescent phase. Using mathematical models and correlation-based network, allowed us to correlate dynamic traits to overall root architecture and discover that both the main root growth rate during homeostasis and lateral root appearance are the strongest determinants of overall root architecture. In addition, this approach revealed a trade-off between investing in main or lateral root length during salt stress. By studying natural variation in high-resolution temporal root growth using mathematical modeling, we gained new insights in the interactions between dynamic root growth traits and we identified key traits that modulate overall root architecture during salt stress.
Summary statementBy studying natural variation in salt-induced root growth phases inArabidopsis, we show that main root growth rate during homeostasis and lateral root appearance contribute most to root architecture and we reveal a trade-off between investing in main and lateral root growth during salt stress.