Spatial Decoupling of the Endodermal Functions Establishes the Innermost Cortex as the Gravity Sensor in Rice Stems

A specialized inner cortex cell layer at the rice stem boundary near the lignified endodermis functions as the gravity sensor, showing starch sedimentation and gravity-linked auxin responses.

• Why it matters: Rice stems must bend under gravity while maintaining tissue integrity around emerging crown roots, so gravity sensing likely uses distinct spatial and physiological adaptations.
• What they did: High-resolution imaging and auxin-response analyses identified the inner cortex layer by its position, circumferentially elongated cells, starch sedimentation, a confined auxin domain, and gravity-sensing marker expression.
• The result: After gravistimulation, starch granules realign and the auxin-response domain expands asymmetrically in this layer, linked to differential growth and requiring polar auxin transport and conserved gravitropism regulators.

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