Functional analysis of indole 3-hexanoic acid as a novel auxin from Arabidopsis thaliana

Main conclusion Indole 3-hexanoic acid is a novel auxin and regulates plant growth and development. Auxin is a signaling molecule that influences most aspects of plant development. Although many small bioactive molecules have been developed as auxin analogues, naturally occurring auxin and the detailed mechanisms of its specific actions in plants remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, to screen auxin responses, we used a novel picolinate synthetic auxin, 3-indole hexanoic acid (IHA), which is similar in structure to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). IHA showed classical auxin activity in the regulation of root growth, gene expression, and PIN-FORMED abundance. Physiological and genetic analyses indicated that IHA may be perceived by the auxin receptor TIR1 and transported by the G-class ATP-binding cassette protein ABCG36 and its homolog ABCG37. Importantly, IHA was detected in planta and converted into IBA depending on the peroxisomal β-oxidation. Together, these findings reveal a novel auxin pathway component and suggest possible undiscovered modes of auxin metabolism regulation in plants.