Genetically Designed, Noise-Resistant Plant Hormone Sensors in Yeast

Jim Crocker
29th August, 2024

Genetically Designed, Noise-Resistant Plant Hormone Sensors in Yeast

This model of the plant's nuclear auxin signaling pathway illustrates the core mechanism engineered into yeast for this study, where auxin binding to TIR1/AFB receptors triggers the degradation of Aux/IAA repressor proteins.

Image adapted from: Chaisupa et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • Researchers at Virginia Tech developed new biosensors to measure auxin levels in yeast
  • These biosensors provide precise measurements of auxin production across different growth conditions
  • Understanding auxin signaling in fungi can improve sustainable agriculture by enhancing plant-microbe interactions
Auxins are essential signaling molecules that regulate growth, metabolism, and behavior in various organisms, including plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the most common natural auxin, plays a significant role in these processes. Understanding auxin biosynthesis and signaling, particularly in fungi, can enhance our ability to manage interkingdom relationships and microbiomes in agricultural soils and the human gut. Despite this importance, a high-resolution biological tool for measuring auxin in fungi has not been developed until now. Researchers at Virginia Tech have addressed this gap by engineering a suite of genetically encoded, ratiometric, protein-based auxin biosensors for the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae[1]. These biosensors are inspired by plant auxin signaling and aim to measure auxin production with high spatial and temporal resolution. The ratiometric nature of these biosensors improves the precision of auxin concentration measurements by minimizing variations due to clonal differences and growth phases. Auxins play a pivotal role in plant morphogenesis, influencing processes such as cell wall biogenesis, cell cycle transitions, and the metabolism of various substances[2]. In plants, the nuclear auxin pathway involves the receptor TIR1/AFB, the transcriptional co-repressor AUX/IAA, and the transcription factor ARF, which directly binds to DNA[3]. This pathway's complexity has increased throughout land plant evolution, contributing to the diverse roles auxins play in plant development[3]. The new study builds on this understanding by adapting components of the plant auxin perception machinery for use in yeast, thereby extending the study of auxin signaling to fungi. The Virginia Tech team used these biosensors to measure auxin production across different growth conditions and phases in yeast cultures. They calibrated the biosensors' responses to physiologically relevant levels of auxin, demonstrating their effectiveness in providing precise measurements. This development is significant because it allows for the investigation of auxin biosynthesis and signaling in S. cerevisiae and potentially other yeast and fungi. Additionally, it advances quantitative functional studies of the plant auxin perception machinery, from which the biosensors are derived. Auxins are not only crucial for plant growth but also play a role in the interactions between plants and microorganisms. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and fungi secrete auxins like IAA to enhance plant growth[4]. These microorganisms produce auxins through various mechanisms, which can improve plant growth by promoting root development, nutrient uptake, and resistance to environmental stress[4]. Understanding auxin signaling in fungi can provide insights into these beneficial interactions and potentially lead to the development of new strategies for sustainable agriculture. The new auxin biosensors designed by the Virginia Tech researchers represent a significant advancement in the study of auxin signaling in fungi. By providing precise measurements of auxin concentrations, these biosensors enable a deeper understanding of auxin biosynthesis and its role in fungal behavior and interactions with other organisms. Future work will focus on improving the fold change and reversibility of these biosensors, further enhancing their utility in research. Overall, this study bridges the gap between plant and fungal auxin signaling, building on previous findings about the nuclear auxin pathway in plants[3] and the role of auxins in plant morphogenesis[2]. It also highlights the importance of auxins in interkingdom relationships and their potential applications in sustainable agriculture[4]. The development of these biosensors marks a significant step forward in auxin research, with broad implications for understanding and manipulating auxin signaling in various organisms.

BiotechGeneticsBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Genetically Encoded, Noise-Tolerant, Auxin Biosensors in Yeast.

Published 28th August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.4c00186

Related Studies

2) Auxin regulates functional gene groups in a fold-change-specific manner in Arabidopsis thaliana roots.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02476-8

3) Evolution of nuclear auxin signaling: lessons from genetic studies with basal land plants.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx267

4) Auxins of microbial origin and their use in agriculture.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-020-10890-8


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