Chinese Bulletin of Botany

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Research Advances in Auxin Biosynthesis

Jiali Wang1,3†, Dongcheng Liu3†, Xiaoli Guo2, Aimin Zhang3*   

  1. 1Department of Information Engineering, Laiwu Vocational and Technology College, Laiwu 271100, China;

    2College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;

    3State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
  • Received:2011-12-28 Revised:2012-03-24 Online:2012-05-01 Published:2012-07-06
  • Contact: Aimin Zhang

Abstract: This review focuses on recent advances in the study of auxin biosynthesis. Auxins are compounds with an aromatic ring and a carboxylic acid group that play an important role in many aspects of plant growth and development. Both plants and some pathogens can produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the most abundant naturally occurring auxin, to modulate plant growth. Recently, several key genes involved in IAA biosynthesis have been identified and characterized. Advances in auxin biology provide novel insights into auxin biosynthesis. Genetic and biochemical studies have revealed two major pathways: Trp-dependent and independent pathways. Intermediates produced during IAA synthesis have led to the proposal of four pathways for biosynthesis of IAA from Trp in plants: indole-3-acetaldoxime, indole-3-pyruvic acid, tryptamine, and indole-3-acetamide pathways.