Summary
Mutant lines of Arabidopsis thaliana resistant to the artificial auxin 2,4-dichloro phenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were isolated by screening for growth of seedlings in the presence of toxic levels of 2,4-D. Genetic analysis of these resistant lines indicated that 2,4-D resistance is due to a recessive mutation at a locus we have designated Axr-1. Mutant seedlings were resistant to approximately 50-fold higher concentrations of 2,4-D than wild-type and were also resistant to 8-fold higher concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) than wild-type. Labelling studies with (14C)2,4-D suggest that resistance was not due to changes in uptake or metabolism of 2,4-D. In addition to auxin resistance the mutants have a distinct morphological phenotype including alterations of the roots, leaves, and flowers. Genetic evidence indicates that both auxin resistance and the morphological changes are due to the same mutation. Because of the pleiotropic morphological effects of these mutations the Axr-1 gene may code for a function involved in auxin action in all tissues of the plant.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bearder JR (1980) Plant hormones and other growth substances — their background, structures and occurrence. Encyclopedia of Plant Physiol 9:9–80
Blakely LM, Radaway SJ, Hollen LB, Croker SG (1972) Control and kinetics of branch root formation in cultured root segments of Haplopoppus ravenii. Plant Physiol 50:35–42
Browse J, McCourt P, Somerville CR (1985) A mutant of Arabidopsis lacking a chloroplast-specific lipid. Science 227:763–765
Caspar T, Huber SC, Somerville C (1985) Alterations in growth, photosynthesis and respiration in a starchless mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) deficient in chloroplast phosphoglucomutase activity. Plant Physiol 79:11–17
Chaleff RS, Parsons MF (1978) Direct selection in vitro for herbicide-resistant mutants of Nicotiana tabacum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:5104–5107
Davidonis GH, Hamilton RH, Mumma RO (1982) Metabolism of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid-resistant soybean callus tissue. Plant Physiol 70:104–107
Estelle MA, Somerville CR (1986) The mutants of Arabidopsis Trends in Genetics 2:89–93
Feung C, Hamilton RH, Mumma RO (1975) Metabolism of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. VII. Comparison of metabolites from five species of plant cellus tissue cultures. J Agric Food Chem 23:373–376
Jacobs M, Ray P (1976) Rapid auxin-induced decrease in free space pH and its relationship to auxin-induced growth in maize and pea. Plant Physiol 58:203–209
Koning RE (1983) The roles of auxin, ethylene, and acid growth in filament elongation in Gaillardia grandiflora. Am J Bot 70:602–610
Koorneef M, Reuling G, Karssen CM (1984) The isolation and characterization of abscissic acid-insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol 61:377–383
Koorneef M, Elgersma A, Hanhart CJ, Van Loenen-Martinet EP, van Rign L, Zeevaart JAD (1985) A gibberellin insensitive mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol 64:35–39
Maher EP, Martindale SJB (1980) Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with altered responses to auxins and gravity. Biochem Genet 18:1041–1053
Meyerowitz EM, Pruitt RE (1985) Arabidopsis thaliana and plant molecular genetics. Science 229:1214–1218
Mirza JI, Maher EP (1980) More 2,4-D resistant mutants. Arabidopsis Inf Serv 17:103–107
Mirza JI, Olsen GM, Iversen TH, Maher EP (1984) The growth and gravitropic responses of wild-type and auxin-resistant mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol 60:516–522
Moore R, Smith JD (1985) Graviresponsiveness and abscissic-acid content of roots of carotenoid-deficient mutants of Zea mays L. Planta 164:126–128
Muller JF, Goujaud J, Caboche M (1985) Isolation in vitro of napthaleneacetic acid-tolerant mutants of Nicotiana tabacum, which are impaired in root morphogenesis. Mol Gen Genet 199:194–200
Phillips ID (1975) Apical dominance. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 26:341–367
Phinney BO, Gibberellin A (1984) Dwarfisn and the control of shoot elongation in higher plants In: Crozier A, Hillman JB (eds) The biosynthesis and metabolism of plant hormones. Soc Exp Biol Semin Series 23. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 17–42
Shininger TL (1979) The control of vascular development. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 30:313–337
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by H. Saedler
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Estelle, M.A., Somerville, C. Auxin-resistant mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with an altered morphology. Mol Gen Genet 206, 200–206 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333575
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333575