The Maize Roothairless6 Gene that Encodes a D-type Cellulose Synthase is Involved in Root Hair Elongation

Root hairs have a significant role in water and nutrient uptake in plants as they provide a substantial increase in root surface area. These epidermal tube-like extensions are thought to play a key role in Zea mays as they are found on all root types of this agronomically significant species. A greater understanding of the pathways contributing to the development of maize root hairs can potentially lead to crop improvement and is the focus of our investigation. Towards this end we genetically mapped, cloned, and characterized the roothairless6 (rth6) gene. This process was facilitated by a combination of two sequence-based cloning strategies, including BSR-seq and Seq-Walking, as well as qRT-PCR, and PCR-based cloning of four independent transposon-tagged mutant alleles. Our findings confirm that rth6 is associated with gene ID GRMZM2G436299, which encodes a D-type cellulose synthase. These findings increase our understanding of root hair development and bring us closer to fully elucidating the pathways at play in root hair development in maize.