Auxin control of embryo patterning

• Published in: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology Vol. 1; no. 5; p. a001545
• Main Authors: Möller, Barbara, Weijers, Dolf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01.11.2009
• Subjects: Arabidopsis - embryology; Arabidopsis - physiology; arabidopsis-embryo; axis formation; basal axis; Biological Transport; cell fate; Cell Polarity; cup-shaped-cotyledon; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; genes; homeodomain finger proteins; Indoleacetic Acids - metabolism; Models, Biological; Mutation; Phenotype; plant embryogenesis; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Roots - metabolism; shoot apical meristem; thaliana; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 1943-0264; 1943-0264
• DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a001545

Plants start their life as a single cell, which, during the process of embryogenesis, is transformed into a mature embryo with all organs necessary to support further growth and development. Therefore, each basic cell type is first specified in the early embryo, making this stage of development excellently suited to study mechanisms of coordinated cell specification-pattern formation. In recent years, it has emerged that the plant hormone auxin plays a prominent role in embryo development. Most pattern formation steps in the early Arabidopsis embryo depend on auxin biosynthesis, transport, and response. In this article, we describe those embryo patterning steps that involve auxin activity, and we review recent data that shed light on the molecular mechanisms of auxin action during this phase of plant development.