The diageotropica mutant of tomato lacks high specific activity auxin sites

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum, Mill) plants homozygous for the single gene diageotropica (dgt) mutation have reduced shoot growth, abnormal vascular tissue, altered leaf morphology, and lack of lateral root branching. These and other morphological and physiological abnormalities suggest that dgt plants are unable to respond to the plant growth hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA). The photoaffinity auxin analogue 3H-5N3-IAA specifically labels a polypeptide doublet of 40 ad 42 kD in membrane preparations from stems of the parental variety VFN8, but not from stems of dgt. In elongation tests, excised dgt roots respond in the same manner to IAA an VFN8 roots. These data suggest that the two polypeptides are part of a physiologically important auxin receptor system which is altered in a tissue-specific manner in the mutant