Role of the Arabidopsis PIN6 Auxin Transporter in Auxin Homeostasis and Auxin-Mediated Development

Plant-specific PIN-formed (PIN) efflux transporters for the plant hormone auxin are required for tissue-specific directional auxin transport and cellular auxin homeostasis. The Arabidopsis PIN protein family has been shown to play important roles in developmental processes such as embryogenesis, organogenesis, vascular tissue differentiation, root meristem patterning and tropic growth. Here we analyzed roles of the less characterised Arabidopsis PIN6 auxin transporter. PIN6 is auxin-inducible and is expressed during multiple auxin–regulated developmental processes. Loss of pin6 function interfered with primary root growth and lateral root development. Misexpression of PIN6 affected auxin transport and interfered with auxin homeostasis in other growth processes such as shoot apical dominance, lateral root primordia development, adventitious root formation, root hair outgrowth and root waving. These changes in auxin-regulated growth correlated with a reduction in total auxin transport as well as with an altered activity of DR5-GUS auxin response reporter. Overall, the data indicate that PIN6 regulates auxin homeostasis during plant development.     

The shade avoidance syndrome: A non-Markovian stochastic growth model

Plants at high population density compete for light, showing a series of physiological responses known as the shade avoidance syndrome. These responses are controlled by the synthesis of the hormone auxin, which is regulated by two signals, an environmental one and an internal one. Considering that the auxin signal induces plant growth after a time lag, this work shows that plant growth can be modelled in terms of an energy-like function extremization, provided that the Markov property is not applied. The simulated height distributions are bimodal and right skewed, as in real community of plants. In the case of isolated plants, theoretical growth dynamics and speed correctly fit Arabidopsis thaliana experimental data reported in literature. Moreover, the growth dynamics of this model is shown to be consistent with the biomass production function of an independent model. These results suggest that memory effects play a non-negligible role in plant growth processes.     

植物Aux/IAA基因家族生物学功能研究进展

生长素是最重要的植物激素之一,对植物生长发育起着关键调控作用。生长素作用于植物后,早期生长素响应基因家族Aux/IAA、GH3和SAUR等被迅速诱导,基因表达上调。其中Aux/IAA基因家族编码的蛋白一般由4个保守结构域组成,结构域Ⅰ具有抑制生长素信号下游基因表达的作用,结构域Ⅱ在生长素信号转导中主要被TIR1调控进而影响Aux/IAA的稳定性,结构域Ⅲ/Ⅳ通过与生长素响应因子ARF相互作用调控生长素信号。Aux/IAA基因家族在双子叶植物拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)的器官发育、根形成、茎伸长和叶扩张等方面发挥重要作用;在单子叶植物水稻(Oryza sativa)和小麦(Triticum aestivum)中,主要影响根系发育和株型,但大多数Aux/IAA基因的功能尚不清楚。该文主要从Aux/IAA蛋白的结构、功能和生长素信号转导途径方面综述Aux/IAA家族在拟南芥、禾谷类作物及其它植物中的研究进展,以期为全面揭示Aux/IAA家族基因的生物学功能提供线索。     

A molecular basis for auxin action.

The plant hormone auxin is central in the regulation of growth and development, however, the molecular basis for its action has remained enigmatic. In the absence of a molecular model, the wide range of responses elicited by auxin have been difficult to explain. Recent advances using molecular genetic approaches in Arabidopsis have led to the isolation of a number of key genes involved in auxin action. Of particular importance are genes involved in channelling polar auxin transport through the plant. In addition a model for auxin signal transduction, centred on regulated protein degradation, has been developed.     

The role of local biosynthesis of auxin and cytokinin in plant development

Plant hormones are tightly regulated in response to environmental and developmental signals. It has long been speculated that biosynthesis of hormones occurs broadly in plant organs and that intricate, spatiotemporal regulation of hormones in developing organ primordia is achieved through transport and signal perception. However, recent identification of genes crucial for biosynthesis of auxin and cytokinin reveals that localized hormone biosynthesis also plays an important role in organ growth and patterning.     

生长素在微生物调控根发育过程中的作用

很多微生物通过分泌生长素和生长素前体与植物建立了有益的关系并改变植物根系的形态结构,此外,微生物分泌的其他代谢产物也能改变植物生长素信号通路。因此,生长素和生长素信号通路在微生物调控植物根系发育的过程中起着至关重要的作用。该文从生长素合成、生长素信号和生长素极性运输3个方面总结了生长素在微生物调控植物根系发育过程中的作用,主要包括微生物增加了植物内源生长素的含量、增强了生长素的信号和调控PIN蛋白的表达水平,进而如何调控植物生理和分子水平来适应微生物对其根系的改变,为进一步开展该方面的研究奠定了基础。     

An Integrative Analysis of the Effects of Auxin on Jasmonic Acid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Auxin and jasmonic acid （JA） are two plant phytohormones that both participate in the regulation of many developmental processes. Jasmonic acid also plays important roles in plant stress response reactions. Although extensive investigations have been undertaken to study the biological functions of auxin and JA, little attention has been paid to the cross-talk between their regulated pathways. In the few available reports examining the effects of auxin on the expression of JA or JA-responsive genes, both synergetic and antagonistic results have been found. To further investigate the relationship between auxin and JA, we adopted an integrative method that combines microarray expression data with pathway information to study the behavior of the JA biosynthesis pathway under auxin treatment. Our results showed an overall downregulation of genes involved in JA biosynthesis, providing the first report of a relationship between auxin and the JA synthesis pathway in Arabidopsis seedlings.     

生长素与乙烯对兰花授粉后花发育的调节作用(英文)

以朵丽蝶兰为材料,对乙烯和生长素调节的授粉后花的发育进行了研究。实验结果显示,切花和植株上的花授粉后,乙烯的产生和花的发育无明显差异;花瓣的衰老、子房发育、花粉萌发和花粉管的伸长受乙烯调节;与切花相比,植株上花的子房内无ＡＣＣ合酶和ＡＣＣ 氧化酶ｍＲＮＡ 的积累。用生长素运输抑制剂２ ［（１ｎａｐｈｔｈａｌｅｎｙｌａｍｉｎｏ）ｃａｒｂｏｎｙｌ］ ｂｅｎｚｏｉｃａｃｉｄ（ＮＰＡ） 处理柱头,授粉诱导的子房发育在很大程度上受到抑制, 表明授粉后子房的发育需要转运来的生长素。     

The Arabidopsis MAX pathway controls shoot branching by regulating auxin transport

BACKGROUND: Plants achieve remarkable plasticity in shoot system architecture by regulating the activity of secondary shoot meristems, laid down in the axil of each leaf. Axillary meristem activity, and hence shoot branching, is regulated by a network of interacting hormonal signals that move through the plant. Among these, auxin, moving down the plant in the main stem, indirectly inhibits axillary bud outgrowth, and an as yet undefined hormone, the synthesis of which in Arabidopsis requires MAX1, MAX3, and MAX4, moves up the plant and also inhibits shoot branching. Since the axillary buds of max4 mutants are resistant to the inhibitory effects of apically supplied auxin, auxin and the MAX-dependent hormone must interact to inhibit branching. RESULTS: Here we show that the resistance of max mutant buds to apically supplied auxin is largely independent of the known, AXR1-mediated, auxin signal transduction pathway. Instead, it is caused by increased capacity for auxin transport in max primary stems, which show increased expression of PIN auxin efflux facilitators. The max phenotype is dependent on PIN1 activity, but it is independent of flavonoids, which are known regulators of PIN-dependent auxin transport. CONCLUSIONS: The MAX-dependent hormone is a novel regulator of auxin transport. Modulation of auxin transport in the stem is sufficient to regulate bud outgrowth, independent of AXR1-mediated auxin signaling. We therefore propose an additional mechanism for long-range signaling by auxin in which bud growth is regulated by competition between auxin sources for auxin transport capacity in the primary stem.     

The stimulating effects of ethylene and auxin on petiole elongation and on hyponastic curvature are independent processes in submerged Rumex palustris

The flooding-tolerant plant species Rumex palustris (Sm.) responds to complete submergence with stimulation of petiole elongation mediated by the gaseous hormone ethylene. We examined the involvement of auxin in petiole elongation. The manipulation of petiolar auxin levels by removing the leaf blade, or by addition of synthetic auxins or auxin transport inhibitors, led to the finding that auxin plays an important role in submergence-induced petiole elongation in R. palustris. A detailed kinetic analysis revealed a transient effect of removing the auxin source (leaf blade), explaining why earlier studies in which less frequent measurements were taken failed to identify any role for auxin in petiole elongation. We previously showed that the onset of stimulated petiole elongation depends on a more upright petiole angle being reached by means of hyponastic (upward) curvature, a differential growth process that is also regulated by ethylene and auxin. This raised the possibility that both ethylene and auxin stimulate elongation only indirectly by influencing hyponastic growth. We show here that the action of ethylene and auxin in promoting petiole elongation in submerged R. palustris is independent of the promoting effect that these hormones also exert on the hyponastic curvature of the same petiole.     

生长素调控种子的休眠与萌发

植物种子的休眠与萌发,是植物生长发育过程中的关键阶段,也是生命科学领域的研究热点。种子从休眠向萌发的转换是极为复杂的生物学过程,由外界环境因子、体内激素含量及信号传导和若干关键基因协同调控。大量研究表明,植物激素脱落酸(Abscisic acid, ABA)和赤霉素(Gibberellin acid, GA)是调控种子休眠水平,决定种子从休眠转向萌发的主要内源因子。ABA与GA在含量和信号传导两个层次上的精确平衡,确保了植物种子能以休眠状态在逆境中存活,并在适宜的时间启动萌发程序。生长素(Auxin)是经典植物激素之一,其对向性生长和组织分化等生物学过程的调控已有大量研究。但最近有研究证实,生长素对种子休眠有正向调控作用,这表明生长素是继ABA之后的第二个促进种子休眠的植物激素。本文在回顾生长素的发现历程、阐释生长素体内合成途径及信号传导通路的基础上,重点综述了生长素通过与ABA的协同作用调控种子休眠的分子机制,并对未来的研究热点进行了讨论和展望。