One of the fundamental characteristics of plants is their polar organization
and polar growth. An auxin gradient has been implicated in directing all polar
patterns of development and differentiation. Auxin effl ux carriers, PINs, present
only in specifi c cell membranes, drive polar auxin transport and the PID protein
kinase in Arabidopsis regulates transport by targeting PIN transporters.
If this gene plays the same role in all plant species, it must be among the
most important genes that control morphological diversity. The PsPK2
gene, the PID homolog in pea, is expressed in all growing parts of pea
and is positively regulated by auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin. To compare
regulatory characteristics of PsPK2 and PID, we constructed a
reporter gene and transformed Arabidopsis with it. GUS activity is illustrated
in transgenic PsPK2::GUS (upper 3 rows) and DR5::GUS (lower 3
rows) Arabidopsis seedlings in response to treatment with water (control)
and four auxins: 4-chloro-indole acetic acid (4-Cl-IAA), indole-3- acetic acid
(IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3- acetic acid methyl ester (MeIAA),
or