The main auxin biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis.
The phytohormone auxin plays critical roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) has been recognized as the major auxin for more than 70 y. Although several pathways have been proposed, how auxin is synthesized in plants is still unclear. Previous genetic and enzymatic studies demonstrated that both TRYPTOPHAN AMINOTRANSFERASE OF ARABIDOPSIS (TAA) and YUCCA (YUC) flavin monooxygenase-like proteins are required for biosynthesis of IAA during plant development, but these enzymes were placed in two independent pathways. In this article, we demonstrate that the TAA family produces indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) and the YUC family functions in the conversion of IPA to IAA in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) by a quantification method of IPA using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem MS. We further show that YUC protein expressed in Escherichia coli directly converts IPA to IAA. Indole-3-acetaldehyde is probably not a precursor of IAA in the IPA pathway. Our results indicate that YUC proteins catalyze a rate-limiting step of the IPA pathway, which is the main IAA biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis.
Plant Science Center, RIKEN, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.
Kiyoshi
K
Mashiguchi
Keita
K
Tanaka
Tatsuya
T
Sakai
Satoko
S
Sugawara
Hiroshi
H
Kawaide
Masahiro
M
Natsume
Atsushi
A
Hanada
Takashi
T
Yaeno
Ken
K
Shirasu
Hong
H
Yao
Paula
P
McSteen
Yunde
Y
Zhao
Ken-ichiro
K
Hayashi
Yuji
Y
Kamiya
Hiroyuki
H
Kasahara
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D007210:Indoleacetic Acids