A collaborative research group led by Professor Asahina Faculty of Science and Engineering has discovered a switch that awakens plant stem cells.Utsunomiya Campus

On Monday, August 4, 2025, Teikyo University Faculty of Science and Engineering Department of Integrated Science and Engineering Environment and Biotechnology Course Professor Masashi Asahina conducted a joint research project with Shunji Shimazu, a Project Researcher at the Graduate School of Graduate School Science, Osaka University, Yuki Kondo, Professor of the same department, and Tomoyuki Furuya, Associate Professor of the same department. We have newly clarified the mechanism of awakening stem cells before plants begin to thicken their roots.
Many plants, centered on trees, first extend their roots and stems longitudinally, followed by their lateral hypertrophy, to create a stable body structure. Until now, it was known that hypertrophy proceeds when the stem cells, which are the driving force, repeatedly divide. However, it was not known in detail how hypertrophy begins.
This time, the research group found that the temporary strong response of cytokinin ^*, a type of plant hormone, is a "switch that awakens stem cells and initiates hypertrophy." This is expected to clarify the starting point of how plants acquire the "power to thicken", and lead to the development of plants that enhance wood production and environmental adaptability.
The results of this research were published in the British international scientific journal "Nature Plants" on Monday, August 4 at 6 p.m. (Japan time).

• *Cytokinin is a type of plant hormone that promotes cell division. It also plays an important role in various aspects of plant growth, such as germination, branching, and inhibiting leaf aging.

Press release here
The published paper is available here (in English).
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