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Role of auxin in regulating Arabidopsis flower development

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Abstract

To elucidate the role of auxin in flower morphogenesis, its distribution patterns were studied during flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Expression of DR5::GUS was regarded to reflect sites of free auxin, while immunolocalization with auxin polyclonal antibodies visualized conjugated auxin distribution. The youngest flower bud was loaded with conjugated auxin. During development, the apparent concentration of free auxin increased in gradual patterns starting at the floral-organ tip. Anthers are major sites of high concentrations of free auxin that retard the development of neighboring floral organs in both the acropetal and basipetal directions. The IAA-producing anthers synchronize flower development by retarding petal development and nectary gland activity almost up to anthesis. Tapetum cells of young anthers contain free IAA which accumulates in pollen grains, suggesting that auxin promotes pollen-tube growth towards the ovules. High amounts of free auxin in the stigma induce a wide xylem fan immediately beneath it. After fertilization, the developing embryos and seeds show elevated concentrations of auxin, which establish their axial polarity. This developmental pattern of auxin production during floral-bud development suggests that young organs which produce high concentrations of free IAA inhibit or retard organ-primordium initiation and development at the shoot tip.

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Abbreviations

DR5::GUS :

Auxin response element fused to β-glucuronidase

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

NAA:

α-naphthaleneacetic acid

ESM:

Electronic supplementary material

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Acknowledgements

We thank Profs. Tom J. Guilfoyle (University of Missouri, Columbia Mo, USA) for the kind gift of the DR5::GUS transformed seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana, Stanislav Veselov (University of Ufa, Russia) for the kind gift of polyclonal auxin antibodies, Rivka Dulberger (Tel Aviv University, Israel) for insightful advice, Dr. Martha Schwartz and Varda Wexler (Tel Aviv University, Israel) for helpful assistance.

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Author notes

  1. Markus Langhans

    Present address: Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

  2. Erez Aloni

    Present address: Department of Philosophy, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Roni Aloni & Erez Aloni

  2. Institute of Botany, Darmstadt University of Technology, Schnittspahnstr 3, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Markus Langhans & Cornelia I. Ullrich

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  1. Roni Aloni
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  2. Erez Aloni
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  3. Markus Langhans
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  4. Cornelia I. Ullrich
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Correspondence to Roni Aloni.

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This paper is dedicated to Orna Aloni for continuous support and management over many years.

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Aloni, R., Aloni, E., Langhans, M. et al. Role of auxin in regulating Arabidopsis flower development. Planta 223, 315–328 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-005-0088-9

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