Advances in the understanding of the metabolism of the plant hormone par excellence

An international team of researchers, led by Eduardo Mateo-Bonmatí, the group leader of the Co-transcriptional en plantas at CBGP, has taken an important step toward understanding how plants regulate their growth. The study focuses on auxin, a key hormone that controls processes such as the formation of roots, leaves, and flowers.

Until now, it was known that plants adjust the levels of this hormone through different mechanisms, including its production, transport, and inactivation. However, the new study shows that one of these processes-known as glycosylation, in which a sugar molecule is added to the hormone-plays a much more important role than previously thought.

The scientists analyzed different pathways through which auxin is inactivated in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, combining genetic tools with advanced metabolic analyses. Their results indicate that glycosylation not only helps to store the hormone safely but also actively regulates its availability, directly influencing plant development.

Furthermore, the study clarifies how different auxin inactivation systems interact, providing a more comprehensive view of this complex internal balance. This knowledge could be key in the future for designing more efficient crops that are better able to withstand environmental changes.

Overall, these findings help to better understand how plants “decide” when and how to grow-an aspect that is fundamental for both basic biology and agriculture.

Original Paper: Casanova-Sáez, R., Pěnčík, A., Brunoni, F., Ament, A., Hladík, P., Žukauskaitė, A., Šimura, J., Voß, U., Novák, O., Bennett, M., Ljung, K., Mateo-Bonmatí, E.✉. 2026. Comprehensive characterisation of IAA inactivation pathways reveals the impact of glycosylation on auxin metabolism and plant development in Arabidopsis. Communications Biology 9, 762. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10431-5