An Efficient Auxin-Inducible Degron System with Low Basal Degradation in Human Cells

Auxin-inducible degron technology allows rapid and controlled protein depletion. However, basal degradation without auxin and inefficient auxin-inducible depletion have limited its utility. We have identified a potent auxin-inducible degron system composed of auxin receptor F-box protein AtAFB2 and short degron miniIAA7. The system showed minimal basal degradation and enabled rapid auxin-inducible depletion of endogenous human transmembrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins in 1 h with robust functional phenotypes. An optimized F-box protein–degron pair enables efficient auxin-mediated protein degradation with minimal basal degradation in human cells and is suitable for transmembrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins.