Microtubules Regulate Tip Growth And Orientation In Root Hairs Of Arabidopsis Thaliana

The study investigated the role of microtubules in the growth and orientation of root hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana. By applying microtubule antagonists, researchers found that disrupting the microtubule cytoskeleton led to a loss of growth directionality and the formation of multiple growth points in a single root hair, each with a tip-focused calcium gradient. Additionally, inducing a new calcium gradient in treated root hairs could create a new growth point, suggesting that microtubules played a role in regulating the directionality and stability of apical growth, potentially through interactions with the cellular machinery maintaining the calcium gradient.