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Phytohormone collaboration: zooming in on auxin-brassinosteroid interactions
Christian S Hardtke1, Eavan Dorcey, Karen S Osmont
1Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. christian.hardtke@unil.ch
Trends in Cell Biology
|October 2, 2007
Summary
Plant hormones auxin and brassinosteroid work together to control plant growth by regulating cell division and expansion. Their pathways are interconnected, likely through shared gene targets and upstream signaling molecules.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Hormone Signaling
Background:
- Plant hormones are crucial for regulating growth and development.
- Auxin and brassinosteroid are key plant hormones with overlapping functions in cell expansion and proliferation.
- Previous studies indicate potential interactions between auxin and brassinosteroid pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the interdependent and synergistic actions of auxin and brassinosteroid hormone pathways in plants.
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between auxin and brassinosteroid signaling.
- To identify potential upstream regulators connecting these two hormone pathways.
Main Methods:
- Molecular genetic analyses in the model plant Arabidopsis.
- Investigation of combinatorial regulation of common target genes.
- Exploration of upstream signaling involving calcium-calmodulin and phosphoinositide pathways.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests interdependent and synergistic actions between auxin and brassinosteroid pathways.
- Interactions likely occur via combinatorial regulation of shared target genes by specific transcription factors.
- An emerging upstream connection involving calcium-calmodulin and phosphoinositide signaling has been identified.
Conclusions:
- Auxin and brassinosteroid pathways exhibit significant functional crosstalk.
- This crosstalk is mediated by transcription factors regulating common target genes.
- Novel upstream signaling components link auxin and brassinosteroid pathways, offering new insights into plant growth regulation.
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