Research

The plant body continually grows and adapts to its environment. Stem cells in the meristems divide and differentiate into highly specialized tissues throughout the plant's life. My team investigates the signaling networks that regulate the balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation during organ radial growth. Specifically, we focus on the interaction between hormone signaling, tissue-specific gene regulatory networks, and environmental stimuli in regulating the formation of the plant's vascular and protective systems (wood and cork).

Keywords

Root development, stem cells,  radial growth, plant polymers, cork, wood

Ten most important publications

1. MYB68 orchestrates cork differentiation by regulating stem cell proliferation and suberin deposition. Molina D., Horvath S., Zhang X., Xiao W., Ragab N., Ripper D., Kilian J, Andersen TG., Ragni L. BioRxiv 2024.03.06.583666; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.06.583666
2. Gibberellin and abscisic acid transporters facilitate endodermal suberin formation in Arabidopsis. Binenbaum, J., Wulff, N., Camut, L., Kiradjiev, K., Anfang, M., Tal, I., Vasuki, H., Zhang, Y., Sakvarelidze-Achard, L., Davière, J.-M., Ripper, D., Carrera, E., Manasherova, E., Ben Yaakov, S., Lazary, S., Hua, C., Novak, V., Crocoll, C., Weinstain, R., Cohen, H., Ragni, L., Aharoni, A., Band, L.R., Achard, P., Nour-Eldin, H.H., and Shani, E. (2023). Nature Plants 9, 785-802.
3. The making of a plant armor: the periderm. Serra O, Mähönen AP, Hetherington AJ, Ragni L. 2022. Annual Review of Plant Biology. 73. doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102720-031405
4. Tissue-autonomous phenylpropanoid production is essential for establishment of root barriers. Andersen TG, Molina D, Kilian J, Franke R, Ragni L* and Geldner N. 2021. Current Biology. 31(5):965-977.e5. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.070. *co-corresponding author.
5. Auxin and gibberellin signalling cross-talk promotes hypocotyl xylem expansion and cambium homeostasis. Ben-Targem M, Ripper D, Bayer M, Ragni L. 2021. Journal of Exp. Botany. 72(10): 3647-3660. doi: org/10.1093/jxb/erab089
6. Pluripotent Pericycle Cells Trigger Different Growth Outputs by Integrating Developmental Cues into Distinct Regulatory Modules. Xiao W, Molina D, Wunderling A, Ripper D and Vermeer J and RagniL. 2020. Current Biology. 30(22):4384-4398.e4385. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.053.
7. The development of the periderm: the final frontier between a plant and its environment. Campilho A, Nieminen K, Ragni L. 2020. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 53:10-14. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.08.008.
8. A molecular framework to study periderm formation in Arabidopsis. Wunderling A, Ripper D, Barra-Jimenez A, Mahn S, Sajak K, Ben-Targem M, Ragni L. 2018. New Phytologist, 219:216-229. doi: 10.1111/nph.15128.
9. Secondary growth as a determinant of plant shape and form. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, Ragni L*, Greb T. 2018. 79:58-67. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.08.050. *co-corresponding author.
10. Secondary development in the stem: when Arabidopsis and trees are closer than it seems. Barra-Jimenez A, Ragni L. 2017. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 35:145-151. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.12.002.