THE ROLE OF AUXIN IN ARABIDOPSIS LATE STAMEN DEVELOPMENT

Based on an extensive genetic and molecular analysis in Arabidopsis, we have proposed a model on the role of auxin in late stamen developmental processes: anther dehiscence, pollen maturation and filament elongation. Expression of auxin-sensitive reporter constructs indicates that auxin effects begin in anthers between the end of meiosis and the bilocular stage in the somatic tissues involved in the first step of dehiscence as well as in the microspores and in the junction region between anther and filament. In situ hybridizations of the auxin biosynthetic genes YUC2 and YUC6 indicate that auxin is synthesized in anthers.