Auxin regulation of Arabidopsis flower development involves members of the AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE/PLETHORA (AIL/PLT) family

Auxin is an important regulator of many aspects of plant growth and development. During reproductive development, auxin specifies the site of flower initiation and subsequently regulates organ growth and patterning as well as later events that determine reproductive success. Underlying auxin action in plant tissues is its uneven distribution, resulting in groups of cells with high auxin levels (auxin maxima) or graded distributions of the hormone (auxin gradients). Dynamic auxin distribution within the periphery of the inflorescence meristems specifies the site of floral meristem initiation, while auxin maxima present at the tips of developing floral organ primordia probably mediate organ growth and patterning. The molecular means by which auxin accumulation patterns are converted into developmental outputs in flowers is not well understood. Members of the AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE/PLETHORA (AIL/PLT) transcription factor family are important developmental regulators in both roots and shoots. In roots, the expression of two AIL/PLT genes is regulated by auxin and these genes feed back to regulate auxin distribution. Here, several aspects of flower development involving both auxin and AIL/PLT activity are described, and evidence linking AIL/PLT function with auxin distribution in reproductive tissues is presented.