Germinating seedlings of Catharanthus roseus produce monoterpenoid indole alkaloids as a result of a transient increase of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) activity. The influence of auxins on this transient rise of TDC activity was studied. External application of indolebutyric acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid at a concentration of 20 to 40 mum enhanced and prolonged the rise in TDC activity in developing seedlings. Auxin treatment also influenced the morphology of the seedlings; it induced a shortening and thickening of the hypocotyl and the radicle and promoted the initiation of lateral roots in the radicle. During development, the radicles of auxin-treated seedlings displayed a gradual increase in TDC activity that was absent in the radicles of untreated controls. Examination of immunoblots revealed anti-TDC reactive proteins in extracts from radicles of auxin-treated seedlings, but none in extracts from radicles of control seedlings. In contrast, TDC activity and immunoreactive protein levels in the aerial parts of controls and auxin-treated seedlings were comparable. Our results indicate that externally applied auxins induce both abnormal development and TDC activity in the radicles of Catharanthus seedlings. Although auxins slightly delayed the light-mediated induction of the cotyledon-specific last step in vindoline biosynthesis (i.e. acetylcoenzyme A: deacetylvindolin-O-acetyltransferase activity), seedlings still synthesized vindoline, one of the major alkaloid end products.