Auxin hormones, production

Next to the amount of P, the chemical form of this nutrient (Lambers et al. 2002 Shu et al. 2005 Shane et al. 2008) and the availability of other nutrients, especially nitrogen, potassium, and iron (Shane and Lambers 2005) affects the formation of cluster roots. It seems to be regulated by several plant hormones. Thus, application of auxin led to the production of cluster roots in white lupin at P concentrations that normally suppress cluster roots (Gilbert etal. 2000 Neumann et al. 2000). Cytokinines might also play a role, as kinetin applied to the growth medium of P-deficient white lupin inhibited the formation of cluster roots (Neumann et al. 2000). 

Ethylene is now considered to be one of the main plant-hormones involved in fruit development. Many responses formerly believed to result from the presence of auxins are now ascribed to induced ethylene production.425 The biosynthetic pathway for formation of ethylene from methionine, in a wide variety of plant tissues, including shoots of mung bean,426 tomato,427 and pea427 carrot427 and tomato428 roots and the fruits of apple,429,430 tomato,427 and avocado,427 has been elucidated, and is as follows. 

The effects of auxin upon the growth of plants were truly remarkable. As a result of the concerted effort and interest that plant scientists devoted to this highly fashionable and exciting field of research, much of what we know of the control of plant growth and development by auxin was discovered in these highly productive years. The hormone was derived from the aromatic amino acid tryptophan and was relatively abundant in the rapidly growing meristematic parts of plants such as apical buds and root tips. Inactive bound forms existed, as in seeds, where hydroly-... 

Such questions have been raised for the catabolic products of auxins, abscisic acid, conjugates of auxins, and gibberellin, and for the hormonal role of cytokinins and auxins in tRNA molecules, but are not reviewed in this article (17). A satisfactory answer to this question requires elucidation of the cellular mechanisms (discussed in this paper) that are believed to be primarily under hormonal regulation. 

Among the most noticeable findings from the research on plant hormones, the identification of receptors and receptor genes must be emphasized. In the last decade, since the publication of the previous edition of the book Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry,5 the receptors and the receptor genes for ethylene, BRs, cytokinins, auxins, GAs, and abscisic acid have been identified, as described in the section for each plant hormone. 

The plant hormone auxin has been shown to be radiosensitive. The product of the irradiation of auxin (p-indoleacetic acid) is a polymer similar to that obtained in the radiolysis of indole. 

---