Systems biology of plant cell polarity

and leaf development

Industrial partners

TILL Photonics

University of Freiburg

Biologie II/BotanikZBSALMB

Our team

AG Palme, Ditengou, Dovzhenko, TealeAG FleckAG Ronneberger

Cell polarity regulation is used by sessile plants as a matter of flexible life style

Polarity regulation allows flexible responses

indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)

Polar auxin transport allows flexible adaptation of new functions

The PIN auxin efflux facilitator proteins enable flexibleredirection of auxin and enable local auxin accumulation

Atpin1

wt pin1

Characterization of polar auxin transporting micro-domains that orchestrate plant development.

How are they formed, how are they regulated ?

What is the functional auxin transport unit ?

Auxin transporting microdomains

PIN proteins are dynamic and loalized in microdomains

• share features with major facilitor super family• have a size of about 50 to 60 kDa• cycle between PM-EE-MVB and other compartments• PIN microdomains are distinct from plasmodesmata

Arabidopsis PIN proteins: markers of cell polarity

BFA Latrunculin

Atpin1

wt pin1