Modeling Arabidopsis root growth and development

Abstract

Modeling has been used to explore various aspects of primary root development and growth in Arabidopsis thaliana, thanks to enormous advances in the genetic and biochemical bases of cell division, cell growth and differentiation, and, more recently, progress in measuring these processes. Modeling has facilitated the characterization of the regulations involved in these processes and the system properties that they confer. Recently, the mechanical-physical properties of root growth have started to be determined with the help of modeling. Here we review recent progress in modeling approaches used to examine root development and growth, from the transcriptional and signaling regulation of cell decisions to the mechanical basis of morphogenesis, and we highlight common features and future challenges.