The NPA Receptor and the Regulation of Auxin Transport

萘基邻苯二甲酸受体(NPAR)是一种植物细胞质膜蛋白，在植物激素生长素的运动调节中起着关键作用。利用免疫亲和和层析技术相结合的方法从西葫芦中分离出NPAR。在体外实验中，黄烷类化合物被证明是NPAR的配体，但天然的配体尚不清楚。目前正在研究几种特定的类黄素，以确定体内的配体。生长素在植物体内的运动对植物的生长发育尤为重要。生长素从枝尖和幼叶的多个合成部位向下向下的极向运输使不同植物部分的生长和发育得以协调，并有助于维持植物身体的发育极性。生长素在植物细胞内和细胞外更多的局部运动会影响含有生长素作用受体的各个细胞内的游离生长素水平。生长素运动的调控是植物生长发育的重要控制点。了解NPA受体如何在植物中控制生长素的运动，将有助于我们理解生长素在植物发育中发挥模式生成和协调作用的方式，并将提高我们为农业目的操纵植物生长的能力。

The naphthylphthalamic acid receptor (NPAR) is a plant cell plasma membrane protein that plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the movement of the plant hormone auxin. NPAR is being isolated from zucchini using a combination of immunoaffinity and chromatographic techniques. Flavenoids are shown to be NPAR ligands in vitro but the natural ligands are not known. Several specific flavenoids are being studied to determine the in vivo ligand. Auxin movement in plants is particularly important to their growth and development. The polar transport of auxin from its multiple sites of synthesis in the shoot apex and young leaves downward to the tissues in which it acts allows for a coordination of growth and development in disparate plant parts and helps maintain the developmental polarity of the plant body. The more local movement of auxin in and out of plant cells affects levels of free auxin in individual cellular compartments containing receptors for auxin's actions. The regulation of auxin movement is a major control point in plant development. Understanding how the NPA receptor works to control movement of auxin in plants would be a major contribution to our understanding of the way that auxin plays its pattern-generating and coordinating role in plant development and will advance our ability to manipulate plant growth for agricultural purposes.