The role of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs in the development and differential growth of inflorescence stems

Abstract

Plants react to environmental cues by altering their growth and development, which can include organ tropic responses. These differential growth responses are triggered by the hormone auxin, and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) have been implicated in numerous organ tropisms in Arabidopsis thaliana. Surprisingly, despite being critical for light capture and overall plant morphology, inflorescence stem tropic responses remain relatively understudied, with presumed direct links to ARF function yet to be established. Here, we show that the expression patterns of ARF5/MONOPTEROS and ARF7/NONPHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL4 are consistent with roles in inflorescence stem tropisms. Mutation of these factors does not alter inflorescence stem responses to gravity or unilateral auxin application, meaning their participation in these processes is presumably masked by functional redundancies. Future resolution of these redundancies will likely require higher order arf mutant combinations, guided by detailed expression analyses of ARFs in the inflorescence stem.