Three Auxin Response Factors Promote Hypocotyl Elongation

The hormone auxin regulates growth largely by affecting gene expression. By studying Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants deficient in AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORS (ARFs), we have identified three ARF proteins that are required for auxin-responsive hypocotyl elongation. Plants deficient in these factors have reduced responses to environmental conditions that increase auxin levels, including far-red-enriched light and high temperature. Despite having decreased auxin responses, the ARF-deficient plants responded to brassinosteroid and gibberellin, indicating that different hormones can act partially independently. Aux/IAA proteins, encoded by IAA genes, interact with ARF proteins to repress auxin response. Silencing expression of multiple IAA genes increased hypocotyl elongation, suggesting that Aux/IAA proteins modulate ARF activity in hypocotyls in a potential negative feedback loop.