@article{fdi:010089568,
  title = {{G}lutaredoxin regulation of primary root growth is associated with early drought stress tolerance in pearl millet},
  author = {de la {F}uente, {C}. and {G}rondin, {A}lexandre and {S}ine, {B}. and {D}ebieu, {M}arilyne and {B}elin, {C}. and {H}ajjarpoor, {A}mir and {A}tkinson, {J}. {A}. and {P}assot, {S}. and {S}alson, {M}. and {O}rjuela, {J}. and {D}ubreuil {T}ranchant, {C}hristine and {B}rossier, {J}. {R}. and {S}teffen, {M}. and {M}orgado, {C}. and {D}inh, {H}. {N}. and {P}andey, {B}. {K}. and {D}armau, {J}. and {C}hampion, {A}ntony and {P}etitot, {A}nne-{S}ophie and {B}arrachina, {C}. and {P}ratlong, {M}. and {M}ounier, {T}. and {N}akombo-{G}bassault, {P}. and {G}antet, {P}ascal and {G}angashetty, {P}. and {G}uedon, {Y}. and {V}adez, {V}incent and {R}eichheld, {J}. {P}. and {B}ennett, {M}. {J}. and {K}ane, {N}. {A}. and {G}uyomarc'h, {S}. and {W}ells, {D}. {M}. and {V}igouroux, {Y}ves and {L}aplaze, {L}aurent},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{S}eedling root traits impact plant establishment under challenging environments. {P}earl millet is one of the most heat and drought tolerant cereal crops that provides a vital food source across the sub-{S}aharan {S}ahel region. {P}earl millet's early root system features a single fast-growing primary root which we hypothesize is an adaptation to the {S}ahelian climate. {U}sing crop modeling, we demonstrate that early drought stress is an important constraint in agrosystems in the {S}ahel where pearl millet was domesticated. {F}urthermore, we show that increased pearl millet primary root growth is correlated with increased early water stress tolerance in field conditions. {G}enetics including genome-wide association study and quantitative trait loci ({QTL}) approaches identify genomic regions controlling this key root trait. {C}ombining gene expression data, re-sequencing and re-annotation of one of these genomic regions identified a glutaredoxin-encoding gene {P}g{GRXC}9 as the candidate stress resilience root growth regulator. {F}unctional characterization of its closest {A}rabidopsis homolog {A}t{ROXY}19 revealed a novel role for this glutaredoxin ({GRX}) gene clade in regulating cell elongation. {I}n summary, our study suggests a conserved function for {GRX} genes in conferring root cell elongation and enhancing resilience of pearl millet to its {S}ahelian environment. e{L}ife assessment {T}his is an important paper that combines methods ranging from agronomy and plant breeding to {A}rabidopsis functional genetics, to argue that polymorphism in a single gene affects crop yield in pearl millet by affecting root cell elongation and drought stress resilience in a poorly studied crop. {T}he overall argument is plausible but whether the solid evidence generated with {A}rabidopsis experiments can be extended to pearl millet itself is unclear. e{L}ife digest {P}earl millet is a staple food for over 90 million people living in regions of {A}frica and {I}ndia that typically experience high temperatures and little rainfall. {I}t was domesticated about 4,500 years ago in the {S}ahel region of {W}est {A}frica and is one of the most heat and drought tolerant cereal crops worldwide. {I}n most plants, organs known as roots absorb water and essential nutrients from the soil. {Y}oung pearl millet plants develop a fast-growing primary root, but it is unclear how this unique feature helps the crop to grow in hot and dry conditions. {U}sing weather data collected from the {S}ahel over a 20-year period, {F}uente, {G}rondin et al. predicted by modelling that early drought stress is the major factor limiting pearl millet growth and yield in this region. {F}ield experiments found that plants with primary roots that grow faster within soil were better at tolerating early drought than those with slower growing roots. {F}urther work using genetic approaches revealed that a gene known as {P}g{GRXC}9 promotes the growth of the primary root. {T}o better understand how this gene works, the team examined a very similar gene in a well-studied model plant known as {A}rabidopsis. {T}his suggested that {P}g{GRXC}9 helps the primary root to grow by stimulating cell elongation within the root. {S}ince it is well adapted to dry conditions, pearl millet is expected to play an important role in helping agriculture adjust to climate change. {T}he findings of {F}uente, {G}rondin et al. may be used by plant breeders to create more resilient and productive varieties of pearl millet.},
  keywords = {pearl millet ; redox ; cell elongation ; {GWAS} ; stress pattern ; root ; meristem ; {A}. thaliana},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {e{L}ife},
  volume = {12},
  numero = {},
  pages = {{RP}86169 [21 p.]},
  ISSN = {2050-084{X}},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.7554/e{L}ife.86169},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010089568},
}