Lecture 27

Auxin

and

Gibberellins

BIOL
350
Fall
1 06
 What are hormones?
- Form and function of multicellular organisms depend on efficient
communication among cells, tissues and organs
- Morphogenesis depends on chemical signals: Julius von Sachs
(1832-1897)
Hormone: from Greek horman - "to set in motion"
chemical messenger that mediates intercellular (between cells)
communication
interacts with specific cellular proteins called receptors
present in cell in very low concentrations
controls plant development and responses to stress:
Growth hormones Stress hormones
Auxin Salicylic acid
Gibberellins Jasmonic acid
Cytokinins Oligosaccharines
Ethylene
Abscisic acid BIOL
Brassinosteroids (plant steroid hormone) 350
Oligosaccharines Fall
2 06
 Some concepts
1. Hormones are chemical signals that facilitate
intercellular communication.
Act at very low concentration.
Synthesized in certain tissues and transported to target
tissues.

2. Level of hormones is regulated.

By Rate of biosynthesis
Rate of degradation, and transport

3. Environmental signals cause changes in hormonal

balance.
Environmental cues → change (Hormone) → response

BIOL
350
Fall
3 06
 The auxin concept – A historical perspective
From experiments on
coleoptile phototropism
(see lecture 26), Darwin
concluded that a growth
stimulus is produced in
coleoptile tip and trans-
mitted to growth zone.

Growth stimulus passes through gelatin but not through

water-impermeable barriers

BIOL
350
Fall
Coleoptile = sheath/protective organ of the youngest leaves in grasses 4 06
 The auxin concept – A historical perspective

The growth stimulus

is of chemical nature.

The growth-promoting substance can diffuse into a gelatin block.

BIOL
350
Fall
5 06
 Auxin stimulates the elongation of
oat coleoptile sections

primary leaves

coleoptile

Incubation in water for 18h Incubation in auxin for 18h

BIOL
350
Auxin from the greek word “auxien”, meaning “to increase” or “to grow”. Fall
6 06
 What is auxin?
Indole Structures of three natural auxins

All plants Peas

Auxin biosynthesis
Synthesis in meristems, young
leaves, developing fruits and
seeds Mustard and corn
BIOL
350
Fall
7 06
 Synthetic auxins

Often used as herbicides BIOL

350
Fall
8 06
 The root cap is the site of gravity perception
Microsurgery experiments demonstrating that the root cap
produces an inhibitor (auxin!) that regulates root gravitropism

Removal of half of
Removal of the cap causes root
root cap; slight to bend toward side
elongation with half cap
growth
Auxin is redistributed
laterally in the root
cap

Horizontal control
root with root cap Removal of cap from BIOL
showing normal horizontal root abolishes 350
Fall
gravitropic bending response to gravity 9 06
 Physiological effects of Auxin

Apical dominance

Lateral and adventitious root development

Flower and fruit development

Vascular differentiation

BIOL
350
Fall
10 06
 Auxin regulates apical dominance
Apical dominance = the growing apical bud inhibits the
growth of lateral (axillary) buds
Phaseolus vulgaris (bean)
Removal of apical/
terminal bud
induces growth of
axillary buds

Applying IAA
to cut surface
prevents
outgrowth of
Axillary buds are axillary buds
suppressed BIOL
because of apical 350
Fall
dominance 11 06
Auxin transport regulates floral bud development
Floral meristem depends on auxin
being transported to it from subapical
tissue

In absence of an auxin carrier protein,

meristem is starved for auxin,
disrupting normal leaf and floral
development

BIOL
350
Fall
12 06
 Auxin promotes fruit development

Auxin is produced in pollen, endosperm, and embryo of developing seeds. BIOL

350
Growth of “fruit” is regulated by auxin produced by “seeds”, the achenes. Fall
13 06
 Auxin signal transduction pathway – current model

Hormone No

Receptor

Transcriptional
repressors

Transcriptional
Auxin response gene
activators

Auxin response
(Gene transcription)
BIOL
350
Fall
Woodward and Bartel 2005 Plant Cell 17: 2425 14 06
 Auxin signal transduction pathway – current model

Hormone No

Receptor

Transcriptional
repressors

Transcriptional
activators

Transcription of auxin
response gene
Auxin response
(Gene transcription)
BIOL
350
Fall
Woodward and Bartel 2005 Plant Cell 17: 2425 15 06
 Gibberellins

Regulators of plant height

and
Seed germination

BIOL
350
Fall
16 06
Effect of Gibberellins (GAs)
on growth and development

Cabbage, a long-day plant,

remains a rosette under short day,
but it can be induced to bolt and
flower by applications of GAs

BIOL
350
Fall
17 06
 Effect of Gibberellins on growth and development
GAs promote fruit set, i.e. initiation of fruit growth after pollination → apple
GAs promote seed germination

GAs have commercial applications

Fruit production (grapes, apples, citrus)
Increasing sugarcane yields
GA biosynthesis inhibitors

BIOL
350
Fall
18 06
GA1, the biologically active gibberellin,
controls stem growth

BIOL
350
Fall
19 06
Photoperiod regulation of GA1 biosynthesis

Spinach plants undergo stem and petiole elongation only in

BIOL
long days (LD); 350
AMO = GA biosynthesis inhibitor Fall
20 06
Photoperiod control of tuber formation

Long days Short days BIOL

350
Fall
21 06
 GA signal transduction – Cereal aleurone layer
2. GAs diffuse to
aleurone layer (Seed coat, fruit wall)

1. GAs are synthesized 3. Aleurone layer

by embryo and released cells are induced
into starchy endosperm to synthesize and
via the scutellum secret α–amylase
and other
hydrolases into
5. Endosperm solutes
endosperm
are absorbed by the
4. Starch and other
scutellum and
macromolecules are
transported to
broken down to small
growing embryo
molecules
BIOL
350
Fall
22 06
 GA turns on a transcription factor that
regulates α–amylase gene expression
GA

Receptor

Transcriptional
repressors

Transcriptional
activators

α-amylase

- Production of GA-MYB mRNA precedes α–amylase mRNA by about 5h BIOL

- In absence of GA, levels of both GA-MYB and α–amylase mRNAs are 350
negligible Fall
23 06
Induction of α-amylase
synthesis by GA

BIOL
350
Fall
24 06