Ammonium triggers formation of lateral roots

Despite the importance of changes in root architecture to exploit local nutrient patches, mechanisms integrating external nutrient signals into the root developmental program remain poorly understood. "Here, we show for the first time that local ammonium supply stimulates the accumulation of auxin in the root vasculature and promotes auxin diffusion and lateral root formation to build a highly branched root system," says Prof. Nicolaus von Wirén from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK).

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