The present invention relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to the root-specific gene expression in plants. The invention provides nucleic acids for a novel transcriptional regulatory root-specific promoter and nucleic acid and protein sequences coding for a new LRR receptor- kinase protein, further specified as a root clavata 1 homolog (RCH1). Further provided are compositions comprising nucleic acids, polypeptides, antibodies and vectors. The invention further provides for methods for modifying cell fate and/or plant development and/or plant morphology and/or plant biochemistry and/or plant physiology comprising the modification of expression in particular cells, tissues or organs of a plant of the novel LRR receptor- like kinase or comprising the expressing of a gene of interest under the control of the novel transcriptional regulatory root-specific promoter. Further are provided compounds interacting with the new polypeptides for use as herbicides or growth regulators.
