Chemical inhibition of Arabidopsis PIN-FORMED auxin transporters by the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen

The phytohormone auxin plays central roles in many growth and developmental processes in plants. Devel-opment of chemical tools targeting the auxin pathway is useful for both plant biology and agriculture. Here we reveal that naproxen, a synthetic compound with anti-inflammatory activity in humans, acts as an auxin transport inhibitor targeting PIN-FORMED (PIN) transporters in plants. Physiological experiments indicate that exogenous naproxen treatment affects pleiotropic auxin-regulated developmental processes. Addi-tional cellular and biochemical evidence indicates that naproxen suppresses auxin transport, specifically PIN-mediated auxin efflux. Moreover, biochemical and structural analyses confirm that naproxen binds directly to PIN1 protein via the same binding cavity as the indole-3-acetic acid substrate. Thus, by combining cellular, biochemical, and structural approaches, this study clearly establishes that naproxen is a PIN inhibitor and elucidates the underlying mechanisms. Further use of this compound may advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of PIN-mediated auxin transport and expand our toolkit in auxin biology and agriculture.

Automated summary

This study reveals that naproxen, an anti-inflammatory drug, acts as an auxin transport inhibitor in plants. It suppresses auxin transport by targeting PIN-mediated auxin efflux. This discovery provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of PIN-mediated auxin transport and has potential applications in plant biology and agriculture.