A new study shows how different cells within the roots of Arabidopsis
plants respond to stress caused by salinity and iron deprivation.
Excessively salty ground conditions can arise when agriculture is
extended to marginal lands or relies on irrigation. Jose Dinneny and
colleagues found that different layers of cells, whether at the root surface
or deeper inside, respond differently to salt-related stress.

The authors also show how cells direct their neighbors and how gene
expression patterns change over the duration of the stress. By comparing
these responses with those invoked by the stress of iron deprivation, the
researchers were also able to identify common stress-response genes.


[www.sciencemag.org]