BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 5 (UPI) -- U.S. and British scientists have determined how a plant hormone interacts with its hormone receptor -- a discovery that might advance cancer research.

The scientists from Indiana University-Bloomington, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the University of Cambridge determined how the plant hormone auxin interacts with its hormone receptor, called TIR1.

They said their findings might have important implications for the treatment of human disease, because TIR1 is similar to human enzymes that are known to be involved in cancer.

"Learning that auxin regulates TIR1 is a huge advance for plant biology that will probably have important implications for agriculture in the future," said Indiana University plant biologist Mark Estelle. "It's a bonus for us that TIR1 is related to proteins in other organisms, including humans."

Until now it was believed enzymes such as TIR1, called ubiquitin ligases, could only be controlled through protein-protein interactions. Ubiquitin ligases influence growth and light response in plants, poison mitigation in yeasts and also cancerous cell division in humans.

The groundbreaking research is detailed in the journal Nature.

ScienceDaily.com