PIN proteins guide plant growth

This new study, which has just been published in the journal Nature Plants, builds on earlier research that revealed how plants use proteins called PIN-FORMED (PIN) to move the hormone auxin, which is crucial for plant growth and development.

Scientists found that the plant hormone auxin controls how plants grow by moving to different parts of the plant. This movement is controlled by PIN proteins, which determine where in the plant the hormones end up. Without these proteins, plants can't grow properly and instead develop into needle-like shapes - hence the name "PIN."

Herbicides hijack the same transport system

The researchers have now discovered that PIN proteins also transport certain herbicides, which are chemicals used to kill weeds. These herbicides are similar to auxin and use the same transport system in plants. The researchers used advanced structural and biophysical methods to see how these herbicides interact with PIN proteins at the molecular level.

"This research not only advances our knowledge of plant biology but also has the potential for improved agriculture. By learning more about how plants transport hormones and herbicides, we can develop safer herbicides and new ways to improve crop growth. This will help protect our food supply and lead to more sustainable agriculture," says Bjørn Panyella Pedersen, professor and co-corresponding author who led the study at Aarhus University.

The research paper:

"Transport of phenoxyacetic acid herbicides by PIN-FORMED auxin transporters"

Supplementary information

We strive to ensure that all our articles live up to the Danish universities' principles for good research communication. Against this background, the article is supplemented with the following information:

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Funding

Open access funding provided by Technische Universität München.

Authors and Affiliations

Plant Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
Lukas Schulz, Sarah Koutnik-Abele & Ulrich Z. Hammes

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Kien Lam Ung & Bjørn Panyella Pedersen

Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Lorena Zuzic & Birgit Schiøtt

Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
Sarah Koutnik-Abele & Bjørn Panyella Pedersen

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
David L. Stokes

More information

Professor, PhD Bjørn Panyella Pedersen - bpp@mbg.au.dk
Institut for Molekylærbiologi og Genetik, Aarhus Universitet