Roots are reported to be plastic in response to nutrient supply, but relatively little is known about their development in response to magnesium (Mg) availability. Here, we showed the influence of both low and high Mg availability on the development of roots including root hairs and highlighted insights into the regulatory role of Mg availability on root hair development and its mechanism in Arabidopsis with combining our published research. Mg concentration in roots decreased quickly after the removal of Mg from the nutrient solution and increased progressively with increasing exogenous Mg supply in the media. However, transcriptome analysis suggested that Mg starvation did not alter the expression of most genes potentially involved in the transport. Primary root elongation and lateral root formation in Arabidopsis were not influenced by low Mg but inhibited by high Mg after one-week period. Moreover, low Mg availability significantly increased but high Mg reduced the initiation, density and length of root hairs, which through the characterized Ca(2+) and ROS signal transduction pathways. More physiological mechanisms underlying Mg-regulated root development remain to be elucidated in future researches.
Keywords: Ca2+; Magnesium; reactive oxygen species; root hairs; root system.