The ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCB19 regulates postembryonic organ separation in Arabidopsis

Abstract

The phytohormone auxin plays a critical role in plant development, including embryogenesis, organogenesis, tropism, apical dominance and in cell growth, division, and expansion. In these processes, the concentration gradient of auxin, which is established by polar auxin transport mediated by PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins and several ATP-binding cassette/multi-drug resistance/P-glycoprotein (ABCB/MDR/PGP) transporters, is a crucial signal. Here, we characterized the function of ABCB19 in the control of Arabidopsis organ boundary development. We identified a new abcb19 allele, abcb19-5, which showed stem-cauline leaf and stem-pedicel fusion defects. By virtue of the DII-VENUS marker, the auxin level was found to be increased at the organ boundary region in the inflorescence apex. The expression of CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON2 (CUC2) was decreased, while no obvious change in the expression of CUC3 was observed, in abcb19. In addition, the fusion defects were greatly enhanced in cuc3 abcb19-5, which was reminiscent of cuc2 cuc3. We also found that some other organ boundary genes, such as LOF1/2 were down-regulated in abcb19. Together, these results reveal a new aspect of auxin transporter ABCB19 function, which is largely dependent on the positive regulation of organ boundary genes CUC2 and LOFs at the postembryonic organ boundary.