AtANN1 and AtANN2 are involved in phototropism of etiolated hypocotyls of Arabidopsis by regulating auxin distribution

Phototropism is an essential response in some plant organs and features several signalling molecules involved in either photo-sensing or post-sensing responses. Annexins are involved in regulating plant growth and its responses to various stimuli. Here, we provide novel data showing that two members of the Annexin family in Arabidopsis thaliana, AtANN1 and AtANN2, may be involved in the phototropism of etiolated hypocotyls. In wild type, unilateral blue light (BL) induced a strong phototropic response, while red light (RL) only induced a weak response. The responses of single- or double-null mutants of the two annexins, including atann1, atann2 and atann1/atann2, were significantly weaker than those observed in wild type, indicating the involvement of AtANN1 and AtANN2 in BL-induced phototropism. Unilateral BL induced asymmetric distribution of DR5-GFP and PIN3-GFP fluorescence in hypocotyls; notably, fluorescent intensity on the shaded side was markedly stronger than that on the illuminated side. In etiolated atann1, atann2 or atann1/atann2 hypocotyls, unilateral BL-induced asymmetric distributions of DR5-GFP and PIN3-GFP were weakened or impaired. Herein, we suggest that during hypocotyls phototropic response, AtANN1 and AtANN2 may be involved in BL-stimulated signalling by regulating PIN3-charged auxin transport.