A team of researchers from CONICET has made an important breakthrough in plant biotechnology by identifying a molecular mechanism that could be crucial for the regeneration of fertile plants from cells modified by genetic engineering. This discovery, published in the prestigious journal *Nature Plants*, represents a major step towards crop improvement through gene editing.
The study was led by researcher Javier Palatnik from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario (IBR, CONICET – UNR), and its relevance was highlighted in the *News & Views* section of the journal. Plant regeneration is one of the biggest challenges in agricultural biotechnology, as many economically important species have difficulties in developing fully from modified cells.
Using advanced biochemical techniques and fluorescence microscopy, the team deciphered the mechanism that regulates root regeneration after damage. Using *Arabidopsis thaliana*, a model species in plant biology, the researchers discovered that the process is controlled by two key components: a family of proteins called growth-regulating factors (GRFs) and a microRNA (miR396). While GRFs promote the development of leaves, stems, and roots, miR396 modulates their activity, ensuring a balance in cell growth.
“We were the first in the world to study this system,” Palatnik stated. Thanks to this knowledge, his group developed three international patents applied to agricultural biotechnology, including a technology that improves biomass and drought resistance in crops, and a chimeric protein (GRF-GIF) that stimulates plant regeneration.
**A global impact breakthrough**
To better understand the regeneration process, the research team conducted experiments in collaboration with Heidelberg University in Germany. They analyzed how cells respond to root amputation, discovering two types of regenerative structures: one organized, similar to the original root, and another more dispersed, which allows growth but does not completely reconstruct the initial structure.
“This finding changes our understanding of how plants regenerate after damage,” explained Julia Baulies, a CONICET postdoctoral fellow and the study’s first author. Now, the challenge is to perfect these techniques to apply them to agriculturally important crops, optimizing food production in a context of climate change and growing demand.
**Can plants regenerate naturally?**
Regeneration is the process of replacing or restoring damaged or missing cells, tissues, organs, and even parts of the body. Plants have the capacity to regenerate naturally thanks to their stem cells that can differentiate into different cell types.
In fact, plants can form new organs from their tissue. For example, if branches are cut from a tree, new shoots can regenerate. Also, many species from the Crassulaceae and Cactaceae families can regenerate roots from leaves detached on the ground.
The regeneration process is carried out by the plant’s stem cells, which are found in the germinating seed, stem, and root. In these areas, there are small cells with embryonic characteristics responsible for regenerating a part or the entire plant.
Source: CONICET.
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