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Mechanisms of auxin action in plant growth and development

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 26, pages 648–666 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

The phytohormone auxin is a major signal coordinating growth and development in plants. The variety of its effects arises from its ability to form local auxin maxima and gradients within tissues, generated through directional cell-to-cell transport and elaborate metabolic control. These auxin distribution patterns instruct cells in a context-dependent manner to undergo predefined developmental transitions. In this Review, we discuss advances in auxin action at the level of homeostasis and signalling. We highlight key insights into the structural basis of PIN-mediated intercellular auxin transport and explore two novel non-transcriptional auxin signalling mechanisms: one involving intracellular Ca2+ transients and another involving cell-surface auxin perception that mediates global, ultrafast phosphorylation. Furthermore, we examine emerging evidence indicating the involvement of cyclic adenosine monophosphate as a second messenger in the transcriptional auxin response. Together, these recent developments in auxin research have profoundly deepened our understanding of the complex and diverse activities of auxin in plant growth and development.

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Fig. 1: Auxin in growth and development.
Fig. 2: Major auxin biosynthesis and inactivation mechanisms.
Fig. 3: Intracellular and intercellular auxin transport.
Fig. 4: Models for nuclear transcriptional and cytosolic rapid auxin signalling.
Fig. 5: Extracellular auxin perception and signalling.
Fig. 6: Contributions of different auxin signalling modes to growth responses in shoot and root.
Fig. 7: Model for auxin canalization involving extracellular auxin perception.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HortiCell, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Steffen Vanneste

  2. Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Yuanrong Pei & Jiří Friml

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  1. Steffen Vanneste
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All authors researched data for the article, wrote the article and/or edited the manuscript before submission. J.F. and S.V. contributed substantially to discussion of the content.

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Glossary

14-3-3 proteins

A family of phospho-binding proteins that regulate the activity of many proteins involved in diverse cellular processes.

Cupin fold

A small, conserved β-barrel shape that is characteristic of the GERMIN-like protein (GLP) family.

Cytoplasmic streaming

The active intracellular flow of organelles and cellular components.

EAR domain

A domain that often confers inhibitory activity to transcriptional regulators, such as Aux/IAA and B-type ARFs in the example of auxin signalling.

FERONIA

A malectin domain-containing receptor-like kinase that is involved in cell wall integrity sensing and RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR (RALF) peptide signalling.

Mediator complex

A conserved large, multisubunit complex that relays regulatory signals from the transcription factors to RNA polymerase II, for example, through module exchange and large-scale structural changes.

Pre-initiation complex

A large multiprotein assembly at the promotor of a gene that is essential for the initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. It includes general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II and is co-activated by the Mediator complex.

Receptor-like kinases

A multigene family of transmembrane receptor kinases involved in sensing various extracellular signals and activating cellular responses.

RootChip

An integrated microfluidics chip specifically designed to monitor in real-time root responses to a stimulus.

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Vanneste, S., Pei, Y. & Friml, J. Mechanisms of auxin action in plant growth and development. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 26, 648–666 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-025-00851-2

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