Shape up your root Novel cellular pathways mediating root responses to salt stress and phosphate starvation

During their entire life cycle, plants have to cope with changing environmental conditions. Water scarcity, nutrient deprivation and soil salinization are some of the biggest constrains wild plants and crops are facing, and the scale of these problems is predicted to rise in the years to come. Despite the fact that plants are rooted in one place, their roots do not have an entirely sessile character. The root is the first organ that perceives the changes in soil conditions. Plants are able to allocate root biomass towards more favorable regions, for example richer in nutrients or water, or develop root system optimal for coping with abiotic stresses, like salinity. In field conditions, plants are often subjected to combinations of abiotic stresses, which urge the study of effects of multiple concurrent stresses. Modulation of Root System Architecture (RSA) traits is a pivotal component describing responses to environmental factors and root growth and development were suggested as a focus area for breeding strategies towards high-yield crops grown in harsh conditions. This thesis focuses on the modulation of Root System Architecture by two environmental stresses, salinity and phosphate deprivation, and dissecting the molecular base of these responses, including the integration of these two stresses.