The Conjugated Auxin Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Aspartic Acid Promotes Plant Disease Development

Auxin is a pivotal plant hormone that regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. Auxin signaling is also known to promote plant disease caused by plant pathogens. However, the mechanism by which this hormone confers susceptibility to pathogens is not well understood. Here, we present evidence that fungal and bacterial plant pathogens hijack the host auxin metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana, leading to the accumulation of a conjugated form of the hormone, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-Asp, to promote disease development. We also show that IAA-Asp increases pathogen progression in the plant by regulating the transcription of virulence genes. These data highlight a novel mechanism to promote plant susceptibility to pathogens through auxin conjugation.