Germin-like protein 1 interacts with proteasome regulator 1 to regulate auxin signaling by controlling Aux/IAA homeostasis

Abstract

Auxin regulates various aspects of plant growth and development by modulating the transcription of target genes through the degradation of auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) repressors via the 26S proteasome. Proteasome regulator 1 (PTRE1), a positive regulator of proteasome activity, has been implicated in auxin-mediated proteasome suppression; however, the mechanism by which auxin modulates PTRE1 function remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that auxin promotes the interaction between germin-like protein 1 (GLP1) and PTRE1, facilitating PTRE1 retention at the plasma membrane. The relocation of PTRE1 results in reduced nuclear 26S proteasome activity, and thus the attenuated Aux/IAA degradation and altered Aux/IAA homeostasis, ultimately resulting in suppressed auxin-mediated transcriptional regulation. Our findings uncover a previously uncharacterized regulatory axis in auxin signaling that controls Aux/IAA protein stability, functioning alongside the TIR1- and TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE 1 (TMK1)-mediated pathways, and highlight the coordination of auxin signaling from the cell surface to the nucleus via auxin-induced PTRE1 relocation, which fine-tunes Aux/IAA protein homeostasis and auxin responses.

Keywords: Aux/IAAs; CP: Plants; GLP1; PTRE1; auxin; germin-like protein 1; proteasome; proteasome regulator 1; protein interaction.