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

The study explored the role of microtubules in the growth and orientation of root hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that while microtubules were not essential for the continuation of tip growth, they were crucial for maintaining a single growth point and consistent direction. Disruption of microtubules with drugs like taxol and oryzalin led to multiple growth points and a 'waving' growth pattern, although the overall growth rate remained unchanged. The research highlighted the importance of microtubules in localizing calcium-dependent elements necessary for growth and emphasized the need to further investigate the molecular connections between microtubules, calcium gradients, and other components involved in tip growth.