Comparative mutant analyses reveal a novel mechanism of ARF regulation in land plants

A major challenge in plant biology is to understand how the plant hormone auxin regulates diverse transcriptional responses throughout development, in different environments, and in different species. The answer may lie in the specific complement of auxin signaling components in each cell. The balance between activators (class-A AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORS) and repressors (class-B ARFs) is particularly important. It is unclear how this balance is achieved. Through comparative analysis of novel, dominant mutants in maize and the moss Physcomitrium patens, we have discovered a [~]500-million-year-old mechanism of class-B ARF protein level regulation, important in determining cell fate decisions across land plants. Thus, our results add a key piece to the puzzle of how auxin regulates plant development.