---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: hybrid
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '21490'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Auxin canalization is a self-organizing process that governs the flexible
    formation of vasculature by reinforcing the formation of auxin transport channels.
    A key prerequisite is the feedback between auxin signaling and directional auxin
    transport, mediated by PIN transporters. Despite the developmental importance
    of canalization, the molecular components linking auxin perception to the regulation
    of PIN auxin transporters remain poorly understood. Here, we identify TOW, a novel
    and essential component of auxin canalization that links intracellular auxin signaling
    with cell surface auxin perception. TOW is regulated downstream of TIR1/AFB-Aux/IAA-WRKY23
    transcriptional auxin signaling. tow mutants exhibit defects in regeneration and
    de novo vasculature formation, along with impaired formation of polarized, PIN-expressing
    auxin channels. At the subcellular level, these mutants display disrupted auxin-induced
    PIN polarization and altered PIN endocytic trafficking dynamics. TOW localizes
    predominantly to the plasma membrane, where it interacts with receptor-like kinases
    involved in auxin canalization, including the TMK1 auxin co-receptor and the CAMEL-CANAR
    complex. TOW promotes PIN interaction with these kinases and stabilizes PINs at
    the cell surface. Together, our findings identify TOW as a molecular link between
    intracellular and cell surface auxin signaling mechanisms that converge on PIN
    trafficking and polarity, providing new insights into how auxin signaling regulates
    directional auxin transport for the self-organizing formation of vasculature during
    flexible plant development.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: MassSpec
- _id: Bio
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: We thank Dr. Z. Ge (ISTA) for providing vectors for the CRISPR-Cas9
  system, Dr. Armel Nicolas and Dr. Bella Bruszel for phosphoproteomic analysis, Prof.
  Michael Wrzaczek (Czech Academy of Sciences, Czechia) for valuable suggestions,
  and Prof. Maciek Adamowski (University of Gdańsk) for technical assistance. We also
  acknowledge the support of the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, the Imaging
  & Optics Facility, and the Lab Support Facility at the Institute of Science and
  Technology Austria. This research was supported by the Scientific Service Units
  (SSU) of ISTA, utilizing resources provided by the Imaging & Optics Facility (IOF)
  and the Lab Support Facility (LSF). The work conducted by the Friml group was funded
  by the European Research Council (ERC) under grant agreement no. 101142681 (CYNIPS)
  and by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under project ESP271. We acknowledge the
  core facility CELLIM supported by MEYS CR (LM2023050 Czech-BioImaging) and the Plant
  Sciences Core Facility of CEITEC Masaryk University. E.M. received support from
  the National Science Centre (NCN), Poland, through the OPUS call within the Weave
  programme (grant no. 2021/43/I/NZ1/01835). T.N. received support from TowArds Next
  GENeration Crops, reg. no. CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004581 of the ERDF Programme Johannes
  Amos Comenius.
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Mingyue
  full_name: Li, Mingyue
  id: 01f96916-0235-11eb-9379-a323192643b7
  last_name: Li
- first_name: Nikola
  full_name: Rydza, Nikola
  last_name: Rydza
- first_name: Ewa
  full_name: Mazur, Ewa
  last_name: Mazur
- first_name: Gergely
  full_name: Molnar, Gergely
  id: 34F1AF46-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Molnar
- first_name: Tomasz
  full_name: Nodzyński, Tomasz
  last_name: Nodzyński
- first_name: Jiří
  full_name: Friml, Jiří
  id: 4159519E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Friml
  orcid: 0000-0002-8302-7596
citation:
  ama: Li M, Rydza N, Mazur E, Molnar G, Nodzyński T, Friml J. Receptor-like-kinase-interacting
    protein TOW stabilizes PIN transporters for auxin canalization. <i>Current Biology</i>.
    2026;36(6):1468-1480.e6. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023">10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023</a>
  apa: Li, M., Rydza, N., Mazur, E., Molnar, G., Nodzyński, T., &#38; Friml, J. (2026).
    Receptor-like-kinase-interacting protein TOW stabilizes PIN transporters for auxin
    canalization. <i>Current Biology</i>. Elsevier. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023</a>
  chicago: Li, Mingyue, Nikola Rydza, Ewa Mazur, Gergely Molnar, Tomasz Nodzyński,
    and Jiří Friml. “Receptor-like-Kinase-Interacting Protein TOW Stabilizes PIN Transporters
    for Auxin Canalization.” <i>Current Biology</i>. Elsevier, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023</a>.
  ieee: M. Li, N. Rydza, E. Mazur, G. Molnar, T. Nodzyński, and J. Friml, “Receptor-like-kinase-interacting
    protein TOW stabilizes PIN transporters for auxin canalization,” <i>Current Biology</i>,
    vol. 36, no. 6. Elsevier, p. 1468–1480.e6, 2026.
  ista: Li M, Rydza N, Mazur E, Molnar G, Nodzyński T, Friml J. 2026. Receptor-like-kinase-interacting
    protein TOW stabilizes PIN transporters for auxin canalization. Current Biology.
    36(6), 1468–1480.e6.
  mla: Li, Mingyue, et al. “Receptor-like-Kinase-Interacting Protein TOW Stabilizes
    PIN Transporters for Auxin Canalization.” <i>Current Biology</i>, vol. 36, no.
    6, Elsevier, 2026, p. 1468–1480.e6, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023">10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023</a>.
  short: M. Li, N. Rydza, E. Mazur, G. Molnar, T. Nodzyński, J. Friml, Current Biology
    36 (2026) 1468–1480.e6.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2026-03-23T15:11:16Z
date_published: 2026-03-23T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-03-24T08:36:40Z
day: '23'
ddc:
- '580'
department:
- _id: JiFr
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.023
external_id:
  pmid:
  - '41831441'
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: fe6c41fdab58a55df5f2a5860c02acdc
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: dernst
  date_created: 2026-03-24T08:34:37Z
  date_updated: 2026-03-24T08:34:37Z
  file_id: '21496'
  file_name: 2026_CurrentBiology_Li.pdf
  file_size: 12986894
  relation: main_file
  success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-03-24T08:34:37Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        36'
issue: '6'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '03'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 1468-1480.e6
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 8f347782-16d5-11f0-9cad-8c19706ee739
  grant_number: '101142681'
  name: Cyclic nucleotides as second messengers in plants
- _id: bd906599-d553-11ed-ba76-abf8547645d7
  grant_number: E271
  name: Identification of a novel regulator in auxin canalization
publication: Current Biology
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0960-9822
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Receptor-like-kinase-interacting protein TOW stabilizes PIN transporters for
  auxin canalization
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 36
year: '2026'
...