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Updated: May 11, 2026

Monitoring Plant Hormones During Stress Responses
Published on: June 15, 2009
Enzyme action in the regulation of plant hormone responses
Corey S Westfall1, Ashley M Muehler, Joseph M Jez
1Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
Abstract:
Plants synthesize a chemically diverse range of hormones that regulate growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. The major classes of plant hormones are specialized metabolites with exquisitely tailored perception and signaling systems, but equally important are the enzymes that control the dose and exposure to the bioactive forms of these molecules. Here, we review new insights into the role of enzyme families, including the SABATH methyltransferases, the methylesterases, the GH3 acyl acid-amido synthetases, and the hormone peptidyl hydrolases, in controlling the biosynthesis and modifications of plant hormones and how these enzymes contribute to the network of chemical signals responsible for plant growth, development, and environmental adaptation.
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