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G-proteins are molecular on–off switches that are involved in transmitting a variety of extracellular signals to their intracellular targets. In animal and yeast systems, the switch property is encoded through nucleotides: a GDP-bound state is the “off-state” and the GTP-bound state is the “on-state”. The G-protein cycle consists of the switch turning on through nucleotide exchange facilitated by a G-protein coupled receptor and the switch turning off through hydrolysis of GTP back to GDP, facilitated by a protein designated REGULATOR OF G SIGNALING 1 (RGS). In plants, G-protein signaling dramatically differs from that in animals and yeast. Despite stringent conservation of the nucleotide binding and catalytic structures over the 1.6 billion years that separate the evolution of plants and animals, genetic and biochemical data indicate that nucleotide exchange is less critical for this switch to operate in plants. Also, the loss of the single RGS protein in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) confers unexpectedly weaker phenotypes consistent with a diminished role for the G cycle, at least under static conditions. However, under dynamic conditions, genetic ablation of RGS in Arabidopsis results in a strong phenotype. We explore explanations to this conundrum by formulating a mathematical model that takes into account the accruing evidence for the indispensable role of phosphorylation in G-protein signaling in plants and that the G-protein cycle is needed to process dynamic signal inputs. We speculate that the plant G-protein cycle and its attendant components evolved to process dynamic signals through signaling modulation rather than through on–off, switch-like regulation of signaling. This so-called change detection may impart greater fitness for plants due to their sessility in a dynamic light, temperature, and pest environment.

The extra-large guanosine-5′-triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein 2, XLG2, is an unconventional Gα subunit of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein complex with a major role in plant defense. In vitro biochemical analyses and molecular dynamic simulations show that affinity of XLG2 for GTP is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the conventional Gα, AtGPA1. Here we tested the physiological relevance of GTP binding by XLG2. We generated an XLG2(T476N) variant with abolished GTP binding, as confirmed by in vitro GTPγS binding assay. Yeast three-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and split firefly-luciferase complementation assays revealed that the nucleotide-depleted XLG2(T476N) retained wild-type XLG2-like interactions with the Gβγ dimer and defense-related receptor-like kinases. Both wild-type and nucleotide-depleted XLG2(T476N) restored the defense responses against Fusarium oxysporum and Pseudomonas syringae compromised in the xlg2 xlg3 double mutant. Additionally, XLG2(T476N) was fully functional restoring stomatal density, root growth, and sensitivity to NaCl, but failed to complement impaired germination and vernalization-induced flowering. We conclude that XLG2 is able to function in a GTP-independent manner and discuss its possible mechanisms of action.

In animals, several long-chain N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) have been identified as endocannabinoids and are autocrine signals that operate through cell surface G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors. Despite the occurrence of NAEs in land plants, including nonvascular plants, their precise signaling properties and molecular targets are not well defined. Here we show that the activity of N-linolenoylethanolamine (NAE 18:3) requires an intact G-protein complex. Specifically, genetic ablation of the Gβγ dimer or loss of the full set of atypical Gα subunits strongly attenuates an NAE-18:3-induced degreening of cotyledons in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. This effect involves, at least in part, transcriptional regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and catabolism genes. In addition, there is feedforward transcriptional control of G-protein signaling components and G-protein interactors. These results are consistent with NAE 18:3 being a lipid signaling molecule in plants with a requirement for G-proteins to mediate signal transduction, a situation similar, but not identical, to the action of NAE endocannabinoids in animal systems.

In animals, several long-chain N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) have been identified as endocannabinoids and are autocrine signals that operate through cell surface G-protein–coupled cannabinoid receptors. Despite the occurrence of NAEs in land plants, including nonvascular plants, their precise signaling properties and molecular targets are not well defined. Here we show that the activity of N-linolenoylethanolamine (NAE 18:3) requires an intact G-protein complex. Specifically, genetic ablation of the Gβγ dimer or loss of the full set of atypical Gα subunits strongly attenuates an NAE-18:3–induced degreening of cotyledons in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. This effect involves, at least in part, transcriptional regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and catabolism genes. In addition, there is feedforward transcriptional control of G-protein signaling components and G-protein interactors. These results are consistent with NAE 18:3 being a lipid signaling molecule in plants with a requirement for G-proteins to mediate signal transduction, a situation similar, but not identical, to the action of NAE endocannabinoids in animal systems.

Receptor of activated C kinase1 (RACK1) is a versatile scaffold protein that binds to numerous proteins to regulate diverse cellular pathways in mammals. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), RACK1 has been shown to regulate plant hormone signaling, stress responses, and multiple processes of growth and development. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying these regulations. Here, we show that an atypical serine (Ser)/threonine (Thr) protein kinase, WITH NO LYSINE8 (WNK8), phosphorylates RACK1. WNK8 physically interacted with and phosphorylated RACK1 proteins at two residues: Ser-122 and Thr-162. Genetic epistasis analysis of rack1 wnk8 double mutants indicated that RACK1 acts downstream of WNK8 in the glucose responsiveness and flowering pathways. The phosphorylation-dead form, RACK1A(S122A/T162A), but not the phosphomimetic form, RACK1A(S122D/T162E), rescued the rack1a null mutant, implying that phosphorylation at Ser-122 and Thr-162 negatively regulates RACK1A function. The transcript of RACK1A(S122D/T162E) accumulated at similar levels as those of RACK1(S122A/T162A). However, although the steady-state level of the RACK1A(S122A/T162A) protein was similar to wild-type RACK1A protein, the RACK1A(S122D/T162E) protein was nearly undetectable, suggesting that phosphorylation affects the stability of RACK1A proteins. Taken together, these results suggest that RACK1 is phosphorylated by WNK8 and that phosphorylation negatively regulates RACK1 function by influencing its protein stability.

In the classic 1942 movie Casablanca, Vichy Police Captain Louis Renault obfuscated the truth by commanding his lieutenants to “round up the usual suspects” knowing well that the culprit with the gun stood in plain view [1]. Something similar has happened in the plant G protein field. This Scientific Correspondence was written to shed light on the source of misunderstanding and to pre-empt further confusion. Plant heterotrimeric G proteins are self-activating and therefore do not need and do not utilize G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). This conclusion was reached previously from biochemical analyses of plant G proteins [2,3]; here, we buttress this point of view using an evolutionary argument. Proteins suspected as plant GPCRs were “rounded up” because they have predicted topology of animal GPCRs and/or have been mis-annotated as such, however these proteins are highly conserved in organisms that lack heterotrimeric G proteins. Therefore they have functions unrelated to G-coupled signaling. Instead, the culprit protein standing in plain view is a receptor GTPase-accelerating protein (GAP), a receptor-GAP called AtRGS1.

The heterotrimeric G-protein complex provides signal amplification and target specificity. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Gβ-subunit of this complex (AGB1) interacts with and modulates the activity of target cytoplasmic proteins. This specificity resides in the structure of the interface between AGB1 and its targets. Important surface residues of AGB1, which were deduced from a comparative evolutionary approach, were mutated to dissect AGB1-dependent physiological functions. Analysis of the capacity of these mutants to complement well-established phenotypes of Gβ-null mutants revealed AGB1 residues critical for specific AGB1-mediated biological processes, including growth architecture, pathogen resistance, stomata-mediated leaf-air gas exchange, and possibly photosynthesis. These findings provide promising new avenues to direct the finely tuned engineering of crop yield and traits.

Signaling through heterotrimeric G proteins is conserved in diverse eukaryotes. Compared to vertebrates, the simpler repertoire of G-protein complex and accessory components in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) offers a unique advantage over all other multicellular, genetic-model systems for dissecting the mechanism of G-protein signal transduction. One of several biological processes that the G-protein complex regulates in Arabidopsis is cell division. We determined cell production rate in the primary root and the formation of lateral roots in Arabidopsis to define individually the types of modulatory roles of the respective G-protein α- and β-subunits, as well as the heterotrimer in cell division. The growth rate of the root is in part a consequence of cell cycle maintenance in the root apical meristem (RAM), while lateral root production requires meristem formation by founder pericycle cells. Thus, a comparison of these two parameters in various genetic backgrounds enabled dissection of the role of the G-protein subunits in modulation of cell division, both in maintenance and initiation. Cell production rates were determined for the RAM and lateral root formation in gpa1 (Arabidopsis G-protein α-subunit) and agb1 (Arabidopsis G-protein β-subunit) single and double mutants, and in transgenic lines overexpressing GPA1 or AGB1 in agb1 or gpa1 mutant backgrounds, respectively. We found in the RAM that the heterotrimeric complex acts as an attenuator of cell proliferation, whereas the GTP-bound form of the Gα-subunit's role is a positive modulator. In contrast, for the formation of lateral roots, the Gβγ-dimer acts largely independently of the Gα-subunit to attenuate cell division. These results suggest that Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G-protein subunits have differential and opposing roles in the modulation of cell division in roots.

Signal recognition by seven-transmembrane (7TM) cell-surface receptors is typically coupled by heterotrimeric G-proteins to downstream effectors in metazoan, fungal, and amoeboid cells. Some responses perceived by 7TM receptors in amoeboid cells and possibly in human cells can initiate downstream action independently of heterotrimeric G-proteins. Plants use heterotrimeric G-protein signaling in the regulation of growth and development, particularly in hormonal control of seed germination, but it is not yet clear which of these responses utilize a 7TM receptor. Arabidopsis GCR1 has a predicted 7TM-spanning domain and other features characteristic of 7TM receptors. Loss-of-function gcr1 mutants indicate that GCR1 plays a positive role in gibberellin- (GA) and brassinosteroid- (BR) regulated seed germination. The null mutants of GCR1 are less sensitive to GA and BR in seed germination. This phenotype is similar to that previously observed for transcript null mutants in the Gα-subunit, gpa1. However, the reduced sensitivities toward GA and BR in the single gcr1, gpa1, and agb1 (heterotrimeric G-protein β-subunit) mutants are additive or synergistic in the double and triple mutants. Thus, GCR1, unlike a typical 7TM receptor, apparently acts independently of the heterotrimeric G-protein in at least some aspects of seed germination, suggesting that this alternative mode of 7TM receptor action also functions in the plant kingdom.

Previous studies implicated the involvement of a heterotrimeric G protein in red (R) and far-red (FR) light signal transduction, but these studies utilized pharmacological or gain-of-function approaches and, therefore, are indirect tests. Here, we reexamine the role of the single canonical heterotrimeric G protein in R and FR control of hypocotyl growth using a loss-of-function approach. Single- and double-null mutants for the GPA1, AGB1genes encoding the alpha and beta subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein, respectively, have wild-type sensitivity to R and FR. Ectopic overexpression of wild type and a constitutive active form of the alpha subunit and of the wild-type beta subunit had no effect that can be unequivocally attributed to altered R and FR responsiveness. These results preclude a direct role for the heterotrimeric G complex in R and FR transduction in Arabidopsis leading to growth control in the hypocotyl.

Prior to the use of Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) as a model genetic system, there was little progress made in identifying the molecular structures of hormone receptors in plants. Over the past decade with Arabidopsis leading the foray, we now know the structures of the receptors for

Tracheary element differentiation requires strict coordination of secondary cell wall synthesis and programmed cell death (PCD) to produce a functional cell corpse. The execution of cell death involves an influx of Ca2+ into the cell and is manifested by rapid collapse of the large hydrolytic vacuole and cessation of cytoplasmic streaming. This precise means of effecting cell death is a prerequisite for postmortem developmental events, including autolysis and chromatin degradation. A 40-kD serine protease is secreted during secondary cell wall synthesis, which may be the coordinating factor between secondary cell wall synthesis and PCD. Specific proteolysis of the extracellular matrix is necessary and sufficient to trigger Ca2+ influx, vacuole collapse, cell death, and chromatin degradation, suggesting that extracellular proteolysis plays a key regulatory role during PCD. We propose a model in which secondary cell wall synthesis and cell death are coordinated by the concomitant secretion of the 40-kD protease and secondary cell wall precursors. Subsequent cell death is triggered by a critical activity of protease or the arrival of substrate signal precursor corresponding with the completion of a functional secondary cell wall.

We have developed and characterized a system to analyze light effects on auxin transport independent of photosynthetic effects. Polar transport of [3H]indole-3-acetic acid through hypocotyl segments from etiolated cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings was increased in seedlings grown in dim-red light (DRL) (0.5 μmol m−2 s−1) relative to seedlings grown in darkness. Both transport velocity and transport intensity (export rate) were increased by at least a factor of 2. Tissue formed in DRL completely acquired the higher transport capacity within 50 h, but tissue already differentiated in darkness acquired only a partial increase in transport capacity within 50 h of DRL, indicating a developmental window for light induction of commitment to changes in auxin transport. This light-induced change probably manifests itself by alteration of function of the auxin efflux carrier, as revealed using specific transport inhibitors. Relative to dark controls, DRL-grown seedlings were differentially less sensitive to two inhibitors of polar auxin transport, N-(naphth-1-yl) phthalamic acid and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid. On the basis of these data, we propose that the auxin efflux carrier is a key target of light regulation during photomorphogenesis.

The auxin-binding protein ABP1 has been postulated to mediate auxin-induced cellular changes associated with cell expansion. This protein contains the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal, the tetrapeptide lysine-aspartic acid-glutamic acid-leucine (KDEL), at its carboxy terminus, consistent with previous subcellular fractionation data that indicated an ER location for ABP1. We used electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to identify the subcellular localization of ABP1. Using maize (Zea mays) coleoptile tissue and a black Mexican sweet (BMS) maize cell line, we found that ABP1 is located in the ER as expected, but is also on or closely associated with the plasma membrane and within the cell wall. Labeling of the Golgi apparatus suggests that the transport of ABP1 to the cell wall occurs via the secretory system. Inhibition of secretion of an ABP homolog into the medium of BMS cell cultures by brefeldin A, a drug that specifically blocks secretion, is consistent with this secretion pathway. The secreted protein was recognized by an anti-KDEL peptide antibody, strongly supporting the interpretation that movement of this protein out of the ER does not involve loss of the carboxy-terminal signal. Cells starved for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for 72 h retained less ABP in the cell and secreted more of it into the medium. The significance of our observations is 2-fold. We have identified a KDEL-containing protein that specifically escapes the ER retention system, and we provide an explanation for the apparent discrepancy that most of the ABP is located in the ER, whereas ABP and auxin act at the plasma membrane.

Abscisic acid (ABA), a sesquiterpenoid phytohormone, was first discovered in the 1960s, and has since been found to be a key regulator of such diverse processes as dormancy, germination, seed development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stress (Cutler et al., 2010). Since the discovery of its structure, advances have been made in understanding ABA metabolism, synthesis, and hormone-responsive genes; however, the understanding of the early stage of ABA perception by the plant cell remained a mystery. During the past decade receptor proteins for the other traditional plant hormones (auxin, gibberellins, cytokinin, and ethylene) were discovered, while the identity of the ABA receptor remained elusive, creating controversy. Finally, in 2009, two research groups converged upon the PYR/PYL/RCAR family of soluble proteins in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which evidence indicates are one type of ABA-binding receptor-like proteins (Ma et al., 2009; Park et al., 2009). This protein family has 14 members, almost all of which appear capable of forming an ABA-receptor complex that is able to activate the transcription of ABA-responsive genes. The use of multiple biochemical, chemical genetics, and proteomic approaches has provided the evidence to paint a remarkable picture of ABA binding, receptor complex formation, and initial downstream signaling. While the receptors and some important signal mediators have been elucidated, the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate the ABA signaling pathway continue to intrigue researchers and drive the field forward.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays regulatory roles in a host of physiological processes throughout plant growth and development. Seed germination, early seedling development, stomatal guard cell functions, and acclimation to adverse environmental conditions are key processes regulated by ABA. Recent evidence suggests that signaling processes in both seeds and guard cells involve heterotrimeric G proteins. To assess new roles for the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Gα subunit (GPA1), the Gβ subunit (AGB1), and the candidate G-protein-coupled receptor (GCR1) in ABA signaling during germination and early seedling development, we utilized knockout mutants lacking one or more of these components. Our data show that GPA1, AGB1, and GCR1 each negatively regulates ABA signaling in seed germination and early seedling development. Plants lacking AGB1 have greater ABA hypersensitivity than plants lacking GPA1, suggesting that AGB1 is the predominant regulator of ABA signaling and that GPA1 affects the efficacy of AGB1 execution. GCR1 acts upstream of GPA1 and AGB1 for ABA signaling pathways during germination and early seedling development: gcr1 gpa1 double mutants exhibit a gpa1 phenotype and agb1 gcr1 and agb1 gcr1 gpa1 mutants exhibit an agb1 phenotype. Contrary to the scenario in guard cells, where GCR1 and GPA1 have opposite effects on ABA signaling during stomatal opening, GCR1 acts in concert with GPA1 and AGB1 in ABA signaling during germination and early seedling development. Thus, cell- and tissue-specific functional interaction in response to a given signal such as ABA may determine the distinct pathways regulated by the individual members of the G-protein complex.

Development of thylakoid membranes depends upon the transport of membrane vesicles from the chloroplast inner envelope and subsequent fusion of vesicles within the interior of the plastid. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Thylakoid formation1 (Thf1) gene product is shown here to control an important step required for the normal organization of these vesicles into mature thylakoid stacks and ultimately for leaf development. The Arabidopsis Thf1 gene encodes an imported chloroplast protein, as shown by in vitro import and localization of a Thf1-green fluorescent protein fusion product in transgenic plants. This gene is conserved in oxygenic photoautotrophs ranging from cyanobacteria to flowering land plants. Transcript levels for Thf1 are induced in the light and decrease under dark conditions, paralleling profiles of light-regulated nuclear genes involved in chloroplast function. Disruption of the Thf1 gene via T-DNA insertion results in plants that are severely stunted with variegated leaf patterns. Nongreen sectors of variegated leaves lacking Thf1 expression contain plastids that accumulate membrane vesicles on the interior and lack organized thylakoid structures. Green sectors of Thf1-disrupted leaves contain some chloroplasts that form organized thylakoid membranes, indicating that an inefficient compensatory mechanism supports thylakoid formation in the absence of Thf1. Genetic complementation of a Thf1 knockout line confirms the role of this gene in chloroplast and leaf development. Transgenic plants expressing the Thf1 gene in antisense orientation are stunted with altered thylakoid organization, especially in young seedlings. The data indicate that the Thf1 gene product plays a crucial role in a dynamic process of vesicle-mediated thylakoid membrane biogenesis.

Seed germination is regulated by many signals. We investigated the possible involvement of a heterotrimeric G protein complex in this signal regulation. Seeds that carry a protein null mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the G protein in Arabidopsis (GPA1) are 100-fold less responsive to gibberellic acid (GA), have increased sensitivity to high levels of Glc, and have a near-wild-type germination response to abscisic acid and ethylene, indicating that GPA1 does not directly couple these signals in germination control. Seeds ectopically expressingGPA1 are at least a million-fold more responsive to GA, yet still require GA for germination. We conclude that the GPA1 indirectly operates on the GA pathway to control germination by potentiation. We propose that this potentiation is directly mediated by brassinosteroids (BR) because the BR response and synthesis mutants,bri1-5 and det2-1, respectively, share the same GA sensitivity as gpa1 seeds. Furthermore,gpa1 seeds are completely insensitive to brassinolide rescue of germination when the level of GA in seeds is reduced. A lack of BR responsiveness is also apparent in gpa1 roots and hypocotyls suggesting that BR signal transduction is likely coupled by a heterotrimeric G protein at various points in plant development.

Around the time of this journal's first volume, the concept of PCD, i.e. the cell's active participation in its own demise, was introduced using the example of a plant cell infected by a fungus (1). This was 7 decades before the flurry of apoptosis research in animals. Death during an incompatible

A study was undertaken using the photoaffinity labeling agent, tritiated 5-azidoindole-3-acetic acid ([(3)H],5-N(3)IAA), to identify cells in the etiolated maize (Zea mays L.) shoot which transport auxin. Transport of [(3)H],5-N(3)IAA was shown to be polar, inhibited by 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) and essentially freely mobile. There was no detectable radiodecomposition of [(3)H],5-N(3)IAA within tissue kept in darkness for 4 hours. Shoot tissue which had taken up [(3)H],5-N(3)IAA was irradiated with ultraviolet light to covalently fix the photoaffinity labeling agent within cells that contained it at the time of photolysis. Subsequent microautoradiography showed that all cells contained radioactivity; however, the amount of radioactivity varied among different cell types. Epidermal cells contained the most radioactivity per area, approximately twofold more than other cells. Parenchyma cells in the mature stelar region contained the next largest amount and cortical cells, sieve tube cells, tracheary cells, and all cells in the leaf base contained the least amount of the radioactive label. Two observations suggest that the auxin within the epidermal cells is transported in a polar manner: (a) the amount of auxin in the epidermal cells is greatly reduced in the presence of TIBA, and (b) auxin accumulates on the apical side of a wound in the epidermis and is absent on the basal side. While these results indicate that auxin in the epidermis is polarly transported, this tissue cannot be the only pathway since the epidermis is only a small fraction of the shoot volume. The greater than twofold difference between the concentration of auxin in the epidermal and subtending cells demonstrates that physiological differences in the concentration of auxin can occur between adjacent cells.

Tritiated 5-azidoindole-3-acetic acid (5-N(3)-[7-(3)H]IAA), a photoaffinity labeling agent, was used to photolabel proteins of a crude microsomal preparation from maize (Zea mays L., Bear Hybrid, WF9 x BR38) coleoptile. Approximately 50% of the bound radioactivity was solubilized in 5 molar urea containing Triton X-100, and the extract was fractionated using a variety of techniques. High performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that, although many membrane proteins incorporated tritiated label, only a few showed reduced incorporation in the presence of excess indole-3-acetic acid. By contrast, no detectable reduction in incorporation was observed in the presence of excess naphthalene-1-acetic acid. Results from isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis indicate that the proteins that showed reduced incorporation of photolyzed 5-N(3)-[7-(3)H]IAA in the presence of IAA fell into two main groups: one which focuses between pH 5.2 and 5.7 (pI 4.8-5.3) and another around pH 6.2 (pI 5.8). In sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the proteins migrated as four bands with apparent molecular weights of 60, 49, 45, and 37 kilodaltons. The auxin-transport inhibitor, 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, competes for the labeling by 5-N(3)-[7-(3)H]IAA, suggesting that some of these proteins may be involved in auxin transport.

Three auxin analogs, 4−, 5−, and 6-azido-3-indoleacetic acid (4-N3-IAA, 5-N3-IAA, and 6-N3-IAA) have been synthesized for use as fluorescent photoaffinity labeling agents. The pKa values of these compounds (4-N3-IAA, 4.67; 5-N3-IAA, 4.65; 6-N3-IAA, 4.66; all ± 0.04) are experimentally indistinguishable from the pKa of 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA, 4.69 ± 0.04). The auxin activity of these IAA derivatives has been determined in several systems. In soybean, pea, and corn straight growth assays, all three analogs induce growth comparable to that caused by IAA. In the tobacco pith assay, all three analogs elicit a maximum increase in fresh weight at least 40 to 50% of that caused by IAA. Optimal growth is attained in the tobacco pith assay at slightly higher concentrations of 4-N3-IAA and 6-N3-IAA (30 micromolar) than required for IAA (10 micromolar); however, maximal growth is achieved at a slightly lower concentration of 5-N3-IAA (3 micromolar). The N3-IAAs, like IAA, are transported basipetally through tobacco pith tissue.

The potential of three auxin analogs, 4-, 5-, and 6-azidoindole-3-acetic (4-N3IAA, 5-N3IAA, and 6-N3IAA), as photoaffinity labeling agents for the detection and isolation of auxin receptors was assessed by irradiating these compounds at 365 nm on TLC plates, in solution, and in contact with soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. var. Wayne) hypocotyl. Photolysis on TLC plates produces immobile spots, indicating extremely polar or covalent binding of the photoproducts to the plates. On irradiation in buffer or in buffer containing sucrose, all three compounds decompose at rates that are first order in N3IAA to give fluorescent solutions. Photolysis through a Pyrex filter is slower than that through quartz, but the filter prevents tissue damage and allows a given dose of irradiation to photolyze all three N3IAAs to the same extent. The effects of photolysis of these compounds in vivo were evaluated with a straight growth assay using etiolated soybean hypocotyl segments. According to this assay, the photoproducts of the N3IAAs possess little auxin activity. Irradiation of soybean hypocotyl tissue after 1-hour exposure to 4-N3IAA in the dark causes the tissue to grow during 12 hours as much as tissue that is continuously exposed to 4-N3IAA in the dark for this period, suggesting that, on photolysis, this auxin analog binds irreversibly to an auxinsensitive site. Although the fluorescence intensity of the photolyzed N3IAAs is weak enough to require another method of detecting the bound analog under physiological conditions, the evidence for covalent binding of the N3IAAs on photolysis implies that these compounds will be satisfactory photoaffinity labeling agents.

G Gardner and HL Gorton (1985 Plant Physiol 77: 540) demonstrated that gabaculine (5-amino-1,3-cyclohexadienylcarboxylic acid) inhibits the initial synthesis and resynthesis of spectrophotometrically detectable phytochrome in pea, maize, and oat. We show that the level of immuno-detectable phytochrome in pea is unaffected by the presence of gabaculine at a concentration that reduces spectrophotometrically detectable phytochrome up to 10-fold. This result indicates that gabaculine inhibits chromophore synthesis without affecting phytochrome apoprotein synthesis and that chromophore-less phytochrome is stable in the cell.

The binding constants of three auxin analogs, 4-, 5-, and 6-azidoindole-3-acetic acid (4-, 5-, and 6-N(3)IAA), and of the photoproducts of 5-N(3)IAA to the naphthalene-1-acetic acid (NAA) binding sites of Zea mays L. WF9 x BR38 were determined to evaluate the potential of these analogs as photoaffinity labeling agents. We have found that 4- and 5-N(3)IAA bind to these sites with affinities similar to that of IAA, while 6-N(3)IAA and the photoproducts of 5-N(3)IAA bind less tightly. This binding is fully reversible in the dark. Binding of 5-N(3)IAA becomes covalent and irreversible upon UV irradiation, as evidenced by a 30% loss in NAA binding at sites pretreated with 5-N(3)IAA and UV irradiation, then washed extensively. IAA or NAA, included with this 5-N(3)IAA pretreatment, can protect the sites from blockage, whereas benzoic acid and tryptophan are unable to protect the site, indicating that 5-N(3)IAA specifically labels the auxin sites.