Auxin as compère in plant hormone crosstalk

The architecture of many hormone perceptions and signalling pathways has been recently well established, together with an awareness that plant hormone responses are the product of networks of interactions involving multiple hormones. As growth is quantitative, so are hormone responses, which underlie a systems approach to development and response. Auxin is arguably one of the best characterised hormones in plant development, and despite many excellent reviews on auxin perception, polar transport, and signal transduction, too little attention has been given to auxin crosstalk. This review, therefore, gives a précis of recent developments in hormone crosstalk involving auxin. For decades, the literature has described the involvement of multiple hormones in particular processes, although the mechanistic bases underlying points of crosstalk have been harder to pinpoint. Crosstalk falls into different categories, such as direct, indirect, or co-regulation. One conclusion for auxin crosstalk is that crosstalk operates extensively via the metabolism of other hormones, however, microarray approaches are increasingly identifying co-regulated genes and nodes of crosstalk at shared signalling components. Auxin crosstalk is often local, and is spatially and temporally regulated to provide adaptive value to environmental conditions and fine-tuning of responses.     

Signaling Interactions During Nodule Development

Nitrogen fixing bacteria, collectively referred to as rhizobia, are able to trigger the organogenesis of a new organ on legumes, the nodule. The morphogenetic trigger is a Rhizobium-produced lipochitin-oligosaccharide called the Nod factor, which is necessary, and in some legumes sufficient, for triggering nodule development in the absence of the bacterium. Because plant development is substantially influenced by plant hormones, it has been hypothesized that plant hormones (mainly the classical hormones abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinins, ethylene and gibberellic acid) regulate nodule development. In recent years, evidence has shown that Nod factors might act in legumes by changing the internal plant hormone balance, thereby orchestrating the nodule developmental program. In addition, many nonclassical hormonal signals have been found to play a role in nodule development, some of them similar to signals involved in animal development. These compounds include peptide hormones, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, uridine, flavonoids and Nod factors themselves. Environmental factors, in particular nitrate, also influence nodule development by affecting the plant hormone status. This review summarizes recent findings on the involvement of classical and nonclassical signals during nodule development with the aim of illustrating the multiple interactions existing between these compounds that have made this area so complicated to analyze.     

Rhizobacterial mediation of plant hormone status

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are commonly found in the rhizosphere (adjacent to the root surface) and may promote plant growth via several diverse mechanisms, including the production or degradation of the major groups of plant hormones that regulate plant growth and development. Although rhizobacterial production of plant hormones seems relatively widespread (as judged from physico-chemical measurements of hormones in bacterial culture media), evidence continues to accumulate, particularly from seedlings grown under gnotobiotic conditions, that rhizobacteria can modify plant hormone status. Since many rhizobacteria can impact on more than one hormone group, bacterial mutants in hormone production/degradation and plant mutants in hormone sensitivity have been useful to establish the importance of particular signalling pathways. Although plant roots exude many potential substrates for rhizobacterial growth, including plant hormones or their precursors, limited progress has been made in determining whether root hormone efflux can select for particular rhizobacterial traits. Rhizobacterial mediation of plant hormone status not only has local effects on root elongation and architecture, thus mediating water and nutrient capture, but can also affect plant root-to-shoot hormonal signalling that regulates leaf growth and gas exchange. Renewed emphasis on providing sufficient food for a growing world population, while minimising environmental impacts of agriculture because of overuse of fertilisers and irrigation water, will stimulate the commercialisation of rhizobacterial inoculants (including those that alter plant hormone status) to sustain crop growth and yield. Combining rhizobacterial traits (or species) that impact on plant hormone status thereby modifying root architecture (to capture existing soil resources) with traits that make additional resources available (e.g. nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilisation) may enhance the sustainability of agriculture.     

植物激素糖基化修饰研究进展

植物激素对植物的生长发育有重要的调节作用。由于激素的作用依赖于其浓度, 所以植物内源活性激素的水平必须受到严格控制, 而糖基化修饰被认为是调控激素活性水平的重要方式之一。随着植物激素糖基化修饰相关糖基转移酶基因不断被克隆与鉴定, 多种植物激素的糖基化修饰机制和功能作用逐渐被揭示。该文重点介绍了近年来植物生长素、细胞分裂素、脱落酸、油菜素内酯、水杨酸、茉莉酸等植物激素的糖基转移酶活性鉴定与功能研究进展。同时, 对植物激素糖基化修饰领域存在的问题和发展前景进行了讨论。     

Involvement of Plant Hormones and Plant Growth Regulators on in vitro Somatic Embryogenesis

In spite of the importance attained by somatic embryogenesis and of the many studies that have been conducted on this developmental process, there are still many aspects that are not fully understood. Among those features, the involvement of plant hormones and plant growth regulators on deTermining the conversion of somatic onto embryogenic tissues, and on allowing progression and maturation of somatic embryos, are far away from being completely comprehended. Part of these difficulties relies on the frequent appearance of contradictory results when studying the effect of a particular stimulus over a specific stage in somatic embryogenesis. Recent progress achieved on understanding the interaction between exogenously added plant growth regulators over the concentration of endogenous hormones, together with the involvement of sensitivity of the tissues to particular hormone groups, might help clarifying the occurrence of divergent patterns in somatic embryogenesis, and in tissue culture in general. The aspects described above, emphasizing on the effect of the concentration of plant hormones and of the addition of plant growth regulators during the different phases of somatic embryogenesis, will be reviewed in this paper. Citations will be limited to review articles as much as possible and to individual articles only in those cases in which very specific or recent information is presented.     

Integrating hormone signaling and patterning mechanisms in plant development

Plant growth and development are driven by the bustling integration of a vast number of signals, among which plant hormones dominate. Understanding the role of hormones in particular developmental events requires their integration with developmental regulators known to be specific to those events. Using the increasing number of tools that can be utilized to probe hormone biosynthesis, transport and response, several recent studies have taken such an integrative approach, and in so doing have contributed to a clearer picture of precisely how hormones control plant development.     

油菜素内酯生物合成与功能的研究进展

植物激素油菜素内酯广泛调节植物的生长发育及对外界环境因子变化的反应, 在作物上的应用也已引起人们的广泛兴趣。通过遗传学等手段对相关突变体及功能基因的研究为其生物合成与功能研究提供了基础。本文总结了油菜素内酯在植物各组织内的分布、生物合成、相关合成突变体及其编码基因的性质、生理功能以及与其它激素间的相互作用等。     

油菜素内酯生物合成与功能的研究进展

植物激素油菜素内酯广泛调节植物的生长发育及对外界环境因子变化的反应,在作物上的应用也已引起人们的广泛兴趣。通过遗传学等手段对相关突变体及功能基因的研究为其生物合成与功能研究提供了基础。本文总结了油菜素内酯在植物各组织内的分布、生物合成、相关合成突变体及其编码基因的性质、生理功能以及与其它激素间的相互作用等。     

The role of local biosynthesis of auxin and cytokinin in plant development

Plant hormones are tightly regulated in response to environmental and developmental signals. It has long been speculated that biosynthesis of hormones occurs broadly in plant organs and that intricate, spatiotemporal regulation of hormones in developing organ primordia is achieved through transport and signal perception. However, recent identification of genes crucial for biosynthesis of auxin and cytokinin reveals that localized hormone biosynthesis also plays an important role in organ growth and patterning.     

Auxin-cytokinin interactions in higher plants: old problems and new tools

The plant hormones auxin and cytokinin interact in a complex manner to control many aspects of growth and differentiation. Recent advances in understanding their metabolism and the cell cycle are now helping to clarify the mechanisms by which these hormones act together to control various physiological and developmental responses. Molecular and genetic tools are being used to reveal interactions between auxin and cytokinin at multiple levels, including mutual regulation of active hormone availability, input into multiple signal transduction pathways, alteration of gene expression, post-translational modifications and direct modulation of enzyme activity.     

Responses to environmental stresses in woody plants: key to survive and longevity

Environmental stresses have adverse effects on plant growth and productivity, and are predicted to become more severe and widespread in decades to come. Especially, prolonged and repeated severe stresses affecting growth and development would bring down long-lasting effects in woody plants as a result of its long-term growth period. To counteract these effects, trees have evolved specific mechanisms for acclimation and tolerance to environmental stresses. Plant growth and development are regulated by the integration of many environmental and endogenous signals including plant hormones. Acclimation of land plants to environmental stresses is controlled by molecular cascades, also involving cross-talk with other stresses and plant hormone signaling mechanisms. This review focuses on recent studies on molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress responses in woody plants, functions of plant hormones in wood formation, and the interconnection of cell wall biosynthesis and the mechanisms shown above. Understanding of these mechanisms in depth should shed light on the factors for improvement of woody plants to overcome severe environmental stress conditions.     

Hormone signalling from a developmental context

The influence of hormones on plant growth and development has been clearly documented over the past 50 years. Now, with molecular genetics, the genes that convert changes in hormone levels into a cellular response are beginning to be identified. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the developmental context in which the hormones act plays a large influence on their synthesis and action. In this review, examples are given where known hormone response genes have been shown to have broader developmental roles as well as examples where genes that regulate developmental decisions, such as differentiation and fate, also influence hormone metabolism. The early conclusion of these studies is that an understanding of hormone signal transduction cannot be achieved in the absence of a developmental framework.     

Leydig cells, thyroid hormones and steroidogenesis

Leydig cells are the primary source of androgens in the mammalian testis. It is established that the luteinizing hormone (LH) produced by the anterior pituitary is required to maintain the structure and function of the Leydig cells in the postnatal testis. Until recent years, a role by the thyroid hormones on Leydig cells was not documented. It is evident now that thyroid hormones perform many functions in Leydig cells. For the process of postnatal Leydig cell differentiation, thyroid hormones are crucial. Thyroid hormones acutely stimulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis. Thyroid hormones cause proliferation of the cytoplasmic organelle peroxisome and stimulate the production of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and StAR mRNA in Leydig cells; both peroxisomes and StAR are linked with the transport of cholesterol, the obligatory intermediate in steroid hormone biosynthesis, into mitochondria. The presence of thyroid hormone receptors in Leydig cells and other cell types of the Leydig lineage is an issue that needs to be fully addressed in future studies. As thyroid hormones regulate many functions of Sertoli cells and the Sertoli cells regulate certain functions of Leydig cells, effects of thyroid hormones on Leydig cells mediated via the Sertoli cells are also reviewed in this paper. Additionally, out of all cell types in the testis, the thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), TRH mRNA and TRH receptor are present exclusively in Leydig cells. However, whether Leydig cells have a regulatory role on the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis is currently unknown.     

Hormone interactions during lateral root formation

Lateral root (LR) formation, the production of new roots from parent roots, is a hormone- and environmentally-regulated developmental process in higher plants. Physiological and genetic studies using Arabidopsis thaliana and other plant species have revealed the roles of several plant hormones in LR formation, particularly the role of auxin in LR initiation and primordium development, resulting in much progress toward understanding the mechanisms of auxin-mediated LR formation. However, hormone interactions during LR formation have been relatively underexamined. Recent studies have shown that the plant hormones, cytokinin and abscisic acid negatively regulate LR formation whereas brassinosteroids positively regulate LR formation. On the other hand, ethylene has positive and negative roles during LR formation. This review summarizes recent findings on hormone-regulated LR formation in higher plants, focusing on auxin as a trigger and on the other hormones in LR formation, and discusses the possible interactions among plant hormones in this developmental process.     

植物激素在苔藓生长发育与逆境响应过程中的作用机制研究进展

植物激素是由植物自身代谢产生的一类从产生部位移动到作用部位发挥调控功能的微量小分子有机物质,在植物生长发育、响应环境胁迫过程中起到关键作用.苔藓植物作为早期登陆的非维管植物,处于陆生植物进化早期的阶段,具有许多不同于维管植物的形态和生理特征.大部分苔藓中普遍存在8种主要的植物激素及其衍生物(包括ABA、JA、ET、SA...     

Auxin: a master regulator in plant root development

The demand for increased crop productivity and the predicted challenges related to plant survival under adverse environmental conditions have renewed the interest in research in root biology. Various physiological and genetic studies have provided ample evidence in support of the role of plant growth regulators in root development. The biosynthesis and transport of auxin and its signaling play a crucial role in controlling root growth and development. The univocal role of auxin in root development has established it as a master regulator. Other plant hormones, such as cytokinins, brassinosteroids, ethylene, abscisic acid, gibberellins, jasmonic acid, polyamines and strigolactones interact either synergistically or antagonistically with auxin to trigger cascades of events leading to root morphogenesis and development. In recent years, the availability of biological resources, development of modern tools and experimental approaches have led to the advancement of knowledge in root development. Research in the areas of hormone signal perception, understanding network of events involved in hormone action and the transport of plant hormones has added a new dimension to root biology. The present review highlights some of the important conceptual developments in the interplay of auxin and other plant hormones and associated downstream events affecting root development.