Roots are important plant ground organs, which absorb water and nutrients to control plant growth and development. Phytohormones have been known to play a crucial role in the regulation of root growth, such as auxin and ethylene, which are central regulators of this process. Recent findings have revealed that root development and elongation regulated by ethylene are auxin dependent through alterations of auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the study of auxin and auxin⁻ethylene crosstalk in plant root development, demonstrating that auxin and ethylene act synergistically to control primary root and root hair growth, but function antagonistically in lateral root formation. Moreover, ethylene modulates auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling to fine-tune root growth and development. Thus, this review steps up the understanding of the regulation of auxin and ethylene in root growth.
Keywords: auxin; crosstalk; ethylene; phytohormones; root development.