Abstract
The very young embryo of a flowering plant is not an idealsystem in which to study the effects of auxin. Conversely, auxin isusually not considered as a major component of developmental processesin early embryogenesis. However, recent findings from both experimentalstudies in Brassica and analyses of developmental mutants inArabidopsis make it worthwhile to examine critically thepossibility that auxin may have a role in early embryogenesis. In thisreview, we will focus on specific processes, such as formation of anapical-basal axis of polarity and the initiation of the primary rootmeristem. To provide a conceptual framework in which to discuss possibleeffects of auxin, we will first briefly summarise essential features ofearly embryogenesis in Arabidopsis. This will be followed by anevaluation of relevant data suggesting a role for auxin in axisformation and root meristem initiation. Finally, we will discuss a fewexperimental approaches that we believe are necessary to examine whetheror not auxin plays a role in fundamental processes of earlyembryogenesis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Berleth T and Jürgens G (1993) The role of the monopteros gene in organising the basal body region of the Arabidopsis embryo. Development 118: 575-587
Boerjan W, Cervera MT, Delarue M, Beeckman T, Dewitte W, Bellini C, Caboche M, Van Onckelen H, Montagu M and Inze D (1995) superroot, recessive mutation in Arabidopsis, confers auxin overproduction. Plant Cell 7(9): 1405-1419
Davies PJ (1995) Plant Hormones: Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers
Delarue M, Prinsen E, Van Onckelen H, Caboche M and Bellini C (1998) sur2 mutations of Arabidopsis thaliana define a new locus involved in the control of auxin homeostasis. Plant J 14(5): 603-611
Fry SC and Wangermann E (1976) Polar transport of auxin through embryos. New Phytol 77: 313-317
Hadfi K, Speth V and Neuhaus G (1998) Auxin-induced developmental patterns in Brassica juncea embryos. Development 125: 879-887
Hamann T, Mayer U and Jürgens, G (1999) The auxininsensitive bodenlos mutation affects primary root formation and apical-basal patterning in the Arabidopsis embryo. Development 126: 1387-1395
Hardtke CS and Berleth T (1998) The Arabidopsis gene MONOPTEROS encodes a transcription factor mediating embryo axis formation and vascular development. EMBO J 17: 1405-1411
Johri BM, Ambegaokar KB and Srivastava PS (1992) Comparative Embryology of Angiosperms. Heidelberg: Springer Verlag
Jürgens G and Mayer U (1994) In EMBRYOS. A Colour Atlas of Development (Bard, J. B. L., ed.), Wolfe Publishing, pp 7-21
Mattsson J, Sung ZR and Berleth T (1999) Responses of plant vascular systems to auxin transport inhibition. Development 126: 2979-2991
Mayer U, Buettner G and Jürgens G (1993) Apical-basal pattern formation in the Arabidopsis embryo: Studies on the role of the gnom gene. Development 117: 149-162
Mayer U, Torres-Ruiz RA, Berleth T, Misera S and Jürgens G (1991) Mutations affecting body organization in the Arabidopsis embryo. Nature 353: 402-407
Michalczuk L, Cooke TJ and Cohen JD (1997) Auxin levels at different stages of carrot somatic embryogenesis. Phytochemistry 31(4): 1097-1103
Przemeck GK, Mattsson J, Hardtke CS, Sung ZR and Berleth T (1996) Studies on the role of the Arabidopsis gene MONOPTEROS in vascular development and plant cell axialization. Planta 200: 229-237
Ray S, Golden T and Ray A (1996) Maternal effects of the short integument mutation on embryo development in Arabidopsis. Dev Biol 180: 365-369
Sachs T (1988) Epigenetic selection: an alternative mechanism of pattern formation. J Theor Biol 134: 547-559
Sachs T (1991) Cell polarity and tissue patterning in plants. Development Supplement 1: 83-93
Steinmann T, Geldner N, Grebe M, Mangold S, Jackson CL, Paris S, Gälweiler L, Palme K and Jürgens G (1999) Coordinated polar localization of auxin efflux carrier PIN1 by GNOM ARF GEF. Science 286: 316-318
Romano CP, Robson PRH, Smith H, Estelle M and Klee H (1995) Transgene mediated overproduction in Arabidopsis: Hypocotyl elongation phenotype and interactions with the hy6-1 hypocotyl elongation and axr1 auxin-resistant mutants. Plant Mol Biol 27(6): 1071-1083
Toonen MAJ, Hendriks T, Schmidt EDL, Verhoeven Harrie A, Van Krammen A and De Vries SC (1994) Description of somatic-embryo forming single cells in carrot suspension cultures employing video cell tracking. Planta 194(4): 565-572
Ulmasov T, Hagen G and Guilfoyle TJ (1997) ARF1, a transcription factor that binds to auxin response elements. Science 276: 1865-1868
Vernon DM and Meinke DW (1994) Embryogenic transformation of the suspensor in twin, a polyembryonic mutant of Arabidopsis. Dev Biol 165: 566-573
Vroemen CW, Langeveld S, Mayer U, Ripper G, Jürgens G, Van Kammen A and De Vries SC (1996) Pattern formation in the Arabidopsis embryo revealded by position-specific lipid transfer protein esxpression. Plant Cell 8(5): 782-791
Willemsen V, Wolkenfelt H, de Vrieze G, Weisbeek P and Scheres B (1998) The HOBBIT gene is required for formation of the root meristem in the Arabidopsis embryo. Development 125: 521-531
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Geldner, N., Hamann, T. & Jürgens, G. Is there a role for auxin in early embryogenesis?. Plant Growth Regulation 32, 187–191 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010765914644
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010765914644