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Jasmonates regulate apical hook development by repressing brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling
Jingjie Zhang1,2, Weiyue Chen1, Xiaopeng Li1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Jasmonates (JAs) repress brassinosteroids (BRs) to control apical hook formation in Arabidopsis. JAs inhibit BR signaling by preventing transcription factor BZR1 activation, crucial for plant development.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The apical hook is vital for protecting the shoot apical meristem during germination.
- Brassinosteroids (BRs) and jasmonates (JAs) are key phytohormones regulating apical hook formation antagonistically.
- The precise interplay between BRs and JAs in this process remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the interrelationship between brassinosteroids (BRs) and jasmonates (JAs) in apical hook development.
- To investigate how JAs influence BR signaling pathways during skotomorphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Arabidopsis thaliana as the model organism.
- Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA).
- Analysis of gene expression (e.g., DWF4) and protein interactions (e.g., MYC2-BZR1).
Main Results:
- Jasmonates (JAs) repress BR biosynthesis by inhibiting the DWARF4 (DWF4) gene expression via MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 transcription factors.
- MYC2 directly interacts with BR-activated transcription factor BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1).
- This interaction disrupts BZR1's association with PIF transcription factors, downregulating target genes like WAG2, essential for hook development.
Conclusions:
- Jasmonates (JAs) negatively regulate brassinosteroid (BR) signaling during apical hook development.
- JAs attenuate BR signaling by inhibiting BZR1 transcriptional activity through MYC2.
- This study reveals a novel mechanism of hormonal crosstalk in plant development.
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