Understanding specificity in auxin perception

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Context: Plant growth and development are controlled in a defined, but dynamic way through the activity of hormones. Hormones are mobile molecules that carry signals to coordinate growth and initiate responses to environmental cues. Auxin is a very important hormone in plants because it is involved in mediating almost every aspect of a plant's life, from embryogenesis to responses to gravity. In order for auxin to trigger all these responses it needs a receptor, a protein which binds the auxin and in doing so acts as a molecular switch, initiating a chain of events that ultimately leads to an appropriate change in the plant's development. We have recently identified a protein called TIR1 as an auxin receptor and this proposal describes a set of experiments that allows us to link whole plant responses to auxin back to the molecular events of auxin perception by TIR1. Aims and objectives: As noted above, auxin is involved in many very different developmental responses. Therefore an important question in plant biology is; how can this one molecular signal give rise to so many outcomes correctly? TIR1 turns out to be a member of a small family of related auxin receptors in the model plant Arabidopsis and it is apparent that there are differences in the receptor activity of these family members. To begin to understand these differences, once we have described auxin binding to TIR1, we will compare the rates and affinities of binding to each family member to identify the molecular basis of these differences. Once auxin is bound to TIR1 and its family members they act by binding another family of proteins, caled Aux/IAAs, which are then labelled for degradation. This degradation allows auxin-regulated genes to be switched on and a cascade of secondary reactions then proceeds. To determine whether or not each receptor has a preference for these Aux/IAA targets we will measure the reaction rates for association and dissociation with a representative sets of Aux/IAAs in both the presence and absence of auxin. These data will give us a matrix of interaction preferences and indicate a molecular basis for specificity, with high affinities in the presence of auxin likely to maximise the chances that this target will be degraded. To be sure that these measurements are relevant in intact, living plants the lifetimes of these target proteins will be measured. We will also generate mutant versions of Arabidopsis which lack particular receptor proteins, or present altered versions of receptors, and relate the auxin responsiveness of these plants to their genetic makeup and our biochemical data. These complementary datasets will add robustness and allow us to quantify the contribution played by selectivity at the receptor complex in specifying particular auxin responses. Potential applications and benefits: The data collected above all relate to the action of the natural plant auxin IAA. However, there are many synthetic auxins used in research and in agriculture and they each have slightly different activities. Examples of agricultural use include treatments to flowers, fruits and nuts and also as selective weedkillers. Auxinic weedkillers kill broadleaved plants, not cereals and grasses and are of great agricultural value. In order to address how these auxins can be selective we will perform experiments on cereal versions of TIR1 and compare both genetic and biochemical similarities and differences. Further, using both types of receptor we will establish a test system to help design and screen new compounds with auxin-like or antagonistic behaviour with the aim of creating a new generation of safe, selective and low dosage agricultural tools.