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

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $99,707

## 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 often comprise 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, 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 preliminary 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.
Project Summary/Abstract Page 6

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10798493
- **Project number:** 3R35GM147216-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexandra Jazz Dickinson
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $99,707
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10798493

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10798493, Illuminating the chemical biology of stem cell decisions in plant roots (3R35GM147216-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10798493. Licensed CC0.

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