Auxin methylation is required for differential growth in Arabidopsis

Abbas, Mohamad; Hernández-García, Jorge; Pollmann, Stephan; Samodelov, Sophia L.; Kolb, Martina; Friml, Jirí; Hammes, Ulrich Z.; Zurbriggen, Matías; Blázquez, Miguel A.; Alabadí, David

Abstract

Asymmetric auxin distribution is instrumental for the differential growth that causes organ bending on tropic stimuli and curvatures during plant development. Local differences in auxin concentrations are achieved mainly by polarized cellular distribution of PIN auxin transporters, but whether other mechanisms involving auxin homeostasis are also relevant for the formation of auxin gradients is not clear. Here we show that auxin methylation is required for asymmetric auxin distribution across the hypocotyl, particularly during its response to gravity. We found that loss-of-function mutants in Arabidopsis IAA CARBOXYL METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (IAMT1) prematurely unfold the apical hook, and that their hypocotyls are impaired in gravitropic reorientation. This defect is linked to an auxin-dependent increase in PIN gene expression, leading to an increased polar auxin transport and lack of asymmetric distribution of PIN3 in the iamt1 mutant. Gravitropic reorientation in the iamt1 mutant could be restored with either endodermis-specific expression of IAMT1 or partial inhibition of polar auxin transport, which also results in normal PIN gene expression levels. We propose that IAA methylation is necessary in gravity-sensing cells to restrict polar auxin transport within the range of auxin levels that allow for differential responses.

Citation

Abbas, M., Hernández-García, J., Pollmann, S., Samodelov, S. L., Kolb, M., Friml, J., …Alabadí, D. (2018). Auxin methylation is required for differential growth in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(26), 6864-6869. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1806565115

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 21, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jun 13, 2018
• Publication Date: Jun 13, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jun 13, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Print ISSN: 0027-8424
• Electronic ISSN: 1091-6490
• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 115
• Issue: 26
• Pages: 6864-6869
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1806565115
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/937482
• Publisher URL: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/06/07/1806565115