Erulus Is a Plasma Membrane-Localized Receptor-Like Kinase That Specifies Root Hair Growth by Maintaining Tip-Focused Cytoplasmic Calcium Oscillations

May 2018 in “ The Plant Cell ”

Taegun Kwon, J. Alan Sparks, Fuqi Liao, Elison B. Blancaflor

Studysummary This article discusses the crucial role of root hairs in water and nutrient uptake from soil and reports no new findings.

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The study investigated the role of ERULUS, a plasma membrane-localized receptor-like kinase, in root hair growth, revealing that ERULUS was crucial for maintaining tip-focused cytoplasmic calcium oscillations necessary for proper root hair development. This finding challenged previous models that suggested ERULUS was involved in ammonium homeostasis via tonoplast localization. The research demonstrated that ERULUS's primary function was linked to calcium signaling, not ammonium homeostasis. The study involved 215 wild-type, 195 eru-3, and 264 eru-3+ERU-GFP root hairs, providing a robust dataset that highlighted the importance of calcium signaling in plant cell growth processes.

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research The Auxin-Regulated CrRLK1L Kinase ERULUS Controls Cell Wall Composition During Root Hair Tip Growth

109 citations , February 2018 in “CB/Current biology”

This study concluded that the receptor-like kinase ERULUS, regulated by auxin, is crucial for modulating cell wall composition and pectin dynamics during root hair growth in Arabidopsis.

research A Receptor-Like Kinase Mediates Ammonium Homeostasis and Is Important for the Polar Growth of Root Hairs in Arabidopsis

107 citations , April 2014 in “The Plant cell”

In this study, researchers showed that the CAP1 gene regulates root hair growth in plants by modulating cytoplasmic ammonium levels and maintaining calcium gradients, highlighting its role in ammonium homeostasis.

research Cytoplasmic Free Calcium Distributions During the Development of Root Hairs of Arabidopsis Thaliana

317 citations , August 1997 in “The Plant Journal”

This study observed that while calcium influx does not initiate root hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana, it may be crucial for sustaining their elongation through elevated calcium levels at the root hair tip.