Auxin regulation of cell polarity in plants

•Auxin regulates cell polarity and shape formation in various cell types.•Polar PIN distribution in different tissues is commonly regulated by an auxin signaling feedback loop.•Auxin regulates cell morphogenesis and tip growth through ROP-dependent non-transcriptional signaling pathways.•The action of auxin in cell polarization and morphogenesis likely involves a cell surface auxin receptor. Auxin is well known to control pattern formation and directional growth at the organ/tissue levels via the nuclear TIR1/AFB receptor-mediated transcriptional responses. Recent studies have expanded the arena of auxin actions as a trigger or key regulator of cell polarization and morphogenesis. These actions require non-transcriptional responses such as changes in the cytoskeleton and vesicular trafficking, which are commonly regulated by ROP/Rac GTPase-dependent pathways. These findings beg for the question about the nature of auxin receptors that regulate these responses and renew the interest in ABP1 as a cell surface auxin receptor, including the work showing auxin-binding protein 1 (ABP1) interacts with the extracellular domain of the transmembrane kinase (TMK) receptor-like kinases in an auxin-dependent manner, as well as the debate on this auxin binding protein discovered about 40 years ago. This review highlights recent work on the non-transcriptional auxin signaling mechanisms underscoring cell polarity and shape formation in plants.