Increased miR160 levels in
response to stress lead to decreased ARF17 levels that in
turn could contribute to the elevated GH3 protein levels.
Increased GH3 proteins probably decrease free IAA levels
in the cell by increasing GH3-conjugated IAA pools. Thus,
another potential role for stress-responsive miR160 is that
it may contribute to auxin homeostasis during stress.
Although the precise role of each of the ARFs in plant
stress responses is unknown, it appears that differential
regulation of various ARFs by miRNAs is likely to be
important for stress tolerance and supports the idea that
plant growth attenuation under stress is probably mediated
by miRNAs that control auxin perception and signaling