# Illuminating the chemical biology of stem cell decisions in plant roots

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2022 · $381,619

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Small molecules are critical for proper regulation of stem cell behavior in multicellular organisms.
Consequently, defects in the biosynthesis, perception, or metabolism of these compounds can cause
developmental abnormalities and disease. Despite the critical importance of small molecules, the vast majority of
our understanding of their functions is derived from indirect measurements. Typically, studies of small molecule
biology are limited to genetic or biochemical approaches that ascribe functional roles to compounds based on the
properties of the genes or proteins that interact with these molecules. Alternatively, small molecules are studied
using chemical analysis approaches that homogenize bulk tissue and destroy the native context of the signals.
High-resolution spatial information is critical in development, where stem cells comprise only a small fraction of
the tissue. To enable deeper investigations of chemical regulation of stem cell behavior, my lab will apply
technologies capable of directly measuring the localization and activity of small molecules in their native
developmental contexts. This work will be done using plant roots, which are a powerful developmental system.
Roots store all of their stem cells at the root tip, which generates a developmental gradient that can be examined
in a single slice of tissue. My lab will leverage this gradient to investigate the role of small molecules in stem cell
decisions. We will map the developmental chemistry of plant roots using mass spectrometry imaging and visualize
small molecule interactions with proteins using a synthetic fluorogenic reporter. Metabolite-driven developmental
mechanisms will be explored in depth by investigating citrate and retinaldehyde (retinal), two highly conserved
metabolites with novel roles in root stem cell divisions and identity. This research will generate: 1) high-spatial
resolution atlases detailing the chemical profiles of stem cell decisions, from regeneration to differentiation 2)
novel insight into pathways that promote proliferation in stress-resilient stem cell subpopulations and 3)
elucidation of dynamic metabolite-driven signaling pathways that regulate stem cell patterning. Our results
suggest that there are many small molecules with important developmental roles that await discovery. Conducting
research at the intersection of chemistry and developmental biology will provide mechanistic insight into stem
cell decisions that would not be possible using a single-disciplinary approach. Accordingly, this work will enrich
our understanding of the conserved and divergent principles that govern stem cell patterning, maintenance,
divisions, and fate acquisition.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10500929
- **Project number:** 1R35GM147216-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexandra Jazz Dickinson
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $381,619
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10500929

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10500929, Illuminating the chemical biology of stem cell decisions in plant roots (1R35GM147216-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10500929. Licensed CC0.

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