A key characteristic of plant development is its plasticity in response to various and dynamically changing environmental conditions. Tropisms contribute to this flexibity by allowing plant organs to grow from or towards environmental cues. Halotropism is a recently described tropism allowing plant roots to bend away from salt. During halotropism, as in most other tropisms, directional growth is generated through an asymmetric auxin distribution that generates differences in growth rate and hence induces bending. Here we develop a detailed model of auxin transport in the Arabidopsis root tip and combine this with experiments to investigate the processes generating auxin asymmetry during halotropism. Our model points to the key role of root tip architecture in allowing the decrease in PIN2 at the salt-exposed side of the root to result in a rerouting of auxin to the opposite side. In addition, our model demonstrates how feedback of auxin on the auxin transporter AUX1 amplifies this auxin asymmetry, while a salt-induced transient increase in PIN1 levels increases the speed at which this occurs. Using AUX1-GFP imaging and pin1 mutants we experimentally confirmed these model predictions, thus expanding our knowledge of the cellular basis of halotropism.
Modeling halotropism: A key role for root tip architecture and reflux loop remodeling in redistributing auxin
these authors contributed equally
Currently Viewing Accepted Manuscript - Newer Version Available
Thea van den Berg, Ruud A. Korver, Christa S. Testerink, Kirsten H. W. J. ten Tusscher; Modeling halotropism: A key role for root tip architecture and reflux loop remodeling in redistributing auxin. Development 2016; dev.135111. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.135111
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