Ultra-Tiny Scale Topographical Cues Direct Arabidopsis Root Growth and Development

Plant growth involves intricate processes, including cell division, expansion, and tissue organization, necessitating innovative technologies that emulate native cell–microenvironment interactions. Herein, we introduce ultra-tiny topographical cues (e.g., patterned micro/nanoscale substrates) that mimic micronanofiber structures found in the plant cell wall. We cultured Arabidopsis on unique cell wall-inspired ultra-tiny cues within specialized chambers that positively influenced various physiological aspects compared to a flat surface. Specifically, we observed bidirectional behavior, favoring maximum primary root growth and thickness on sparse features (e.g., 5 μm) and induced predominant anisotropic root alignment on dense features (e.g., 400–800 nm), with alignment decreasing monotonically as the feature size increased. Additionally, RNA sequencing revealed distinct molecular mechanisms underlying Arabidopsis root growth dynamics in response to these ultra-tiny cues, demonstrating modulation of specific genes involved in root development. Collectively, our findings highlight the potential of ultra-tiny cues to modulate gene expression and plant growth dynamics, offering innovative approaches to enhance agricultural productivity sustainably through feature-size-dependent interactions.

植物生长涉及诸多复杂过程，涵盖细胞分裂、细胞扩张与组织构建，亟需能够模拟天然细胞-微环境互作的创新技术手段。在此，我们提出一类超微拓扑诱导信号（ultra-tiny topographical cues），例如图案化微/纳米尺度基底，其可模拟植物细胞壁中存在的微纳米纤维结构。我们在特制培养腔室内，依托模拟植物细胞壁的超微拓扑诱导信号，对拟南芥（Arabidopsis）进行培养；相较于平面基底，该体系对拟南芥的多项生理过程均产生了积极影响。具体而言，我们观察到该体系呈现双向响应特性：在稀疏拓扑特征（如5 μm）条件下，拟南芥主根生长与根粗均达到峰值；而在致密拓扑特征（如400–800 nm）条件下，根排列呈现显著的各向异性，且排列程度随特征尺寸增大呈单调递减趋势。此外，RNA测序（RNA sequencing）结果显示，拟南芥根生长动态响应上述超微拓扑诱导信号的分子机制存在显著差异，实验证实了根发育相关特定基因的表达调控。综上，本研究结果证实了超微拓扑诱导信号可调控基因表达与植物生长动态，为通过特征尺寸依赖性互作机制可持续提升农业生产力提供了创新思路。