Approaching Cellular and Molecular Resolution of Auxin Biosynthesis and Metabolism
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
- Correspondence: normanly{at}biochem.umass.edu
Abstract
There is abundant evidence of multiple biosynthesis pathways for the major naturally occurring auxin in plants, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and examples of differential use of two general routes of IAA synthesis, namely Trp-dependent and Trp-independent. Although none of these pathways has been completely defined, we now have examples of specific IAA biosynthetic pathways playing a role in developmental processes by way of localized IAA synthesis, causing us to rethink the interactions between IAA synthesis, transport, and signaling. Recent work also points to some IAA biosynthesis pathways being specific to families within the plant kingdom, whereas others appear to be more ubiquitous. An important advance within the past 5 years is our ability to monitor IAA biosynthesis and metabolism at increasingly higher resolution.
Footnotes
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Editors: Mark Estelle, Dolf Weijers, Karin Ljung, and Ottoline Leyser
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Additional Perspectives on Auxin Signaling available at www.cshperspectives.org
- Copyright © 2010 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved