Scientists Unveil Mechanism Controlling Plant Growth and Development

A joint study conducted by researchers in Spain and the Netherlands unravels the mystery behind how auxins activate multiple vital plant functions through various gene transcription factors. Auxins are plant hormones that control growth and development, and their many activities include cell growth, root initiation, flowering, fruit setting and ripening delay. Auxins are also used to produce seedless fruit, prevent fruit drop, and promote rooting, in addition to being used as herbicides.

However, although it was known how and where auxin is synthesized in the plant, how it is transported, and the receptors on which it acts, it has remained unclear how it triggers such diverse processes. Plants have distinct
auxin-regulated transcription factors called Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) that control the expression of numerous plant genes. Through prepared crystals of complexes of DNA and ARF proteins, it was revealed why a given transcription factor is capable of activating a single set of genes, while other ARFs that are very similar with only slight differences trigger a distinct set.

More details about the research are available at: http://www.irbbarcelona.org/index.php/en/news/irb-news/scientific/scientists-discover-a-molecular-mechanism-that-controls-plant-growth-and-development.