Auxin-Induced Adventitious Rooting in Pepper Involves CaLBD16: Functional Evidence from Tomato Overexpression

The formation of adventitious roots plays a key role in plant asexual reproduction, yet research on this process in pepper remains limited. Exogenous auxin treatment substantially promotes adventitious root formation in pepper, and we identified CaLBD16 as a positive regulator acting downstream of auxin signaling. Further analysis revealed that the signal transduction from auxin to CaLBD16 is mediated through the activation of CaARF6 and CaWOX11, both of which also contribute to adventitious root formation. Together, our findings uncover a molecular mechanism underlying auxin-induced adventitious root formation in pepper, offering valuable insights for its practical application in production.