Plant-ER Lecture: How auxin gets into and out of cells – players and principles (Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hammes, Universität Würzburg)

Abstract: Auxins are key plant hormones that regulate nearly every aspect of plant growth and development, and their distribution within plant tissues depends on a diverse set of transport proteins with distinct biochemical and structural features. In this lecture, I will present recent advances in our understanding of auxin transport, with a particular focus on the PIN-FORMED family of auxin efflux carriers. Recent structural breakthroughs have significantly deepened our insight into how these transporters function at the molecular level, revealing new details of the auxin export process. These findings also shed light on the mode of action of synthetic auxinic herbicides such as 2,4-D and TIBA. Building on these developments, I will discuss how emerging data are reshaping current models of the auxin transporter network and its role in directing hormone distribution throughout the plant. A deeper understanding of auxin transport mechanisms is essential not only for decoding fundamental principles of plant growth and development, but also for advancing strategies in crop improvement and plant biotechnology.

Host: Prof. Dr. Uwe Sonnewald
Uwe.sonnewald@fau.de