Hormonal impact on photosynthesis and photoprotection in plants

Photosynthesis is not only essential for plants, but it also sustains life on Earth. Phytohormones play crucial roles in developmental processes, from organ initiation to senescence, due to their role as growth and developmental regulators, as well as their central role in the regulation of photosynthesis. Furthermore, phytohormones play a major role in photoprotection of the photosynthetic apparatus under stress conditions. Here, in addition to discussing our current knowledge on the role of the phytohormones auxin, cytokinins, gibberellins, and strigolactones in promoting photosynthesis, we will also highlight the role of abscisic acid beyond stomatal closure in modulating photosynthesis and photoprotection under various stress conditions through crosstalk with ethylene, salicylates, jasmonates, and brassinosteroids. Furthermore, the role of phytohormones in controlling the production and scavenging of photosynthesis-derived reactive oxygen species, the duration and extent of photo-oxidative stress and redox signaling under stress conditions will be discussed in detail. Hormones have a significant impact on the regulation of photosynthetic processes in plants under both optimal and stress conditions, with hormonal interactions, complementation, and crosstalk being important in the spatiotemporal and integrative regulation of photosynthetic processes during organ development at the whole-plant level.

In addition to mediating stoma-induced reductions in photosynthesis during stress, phytohormones modulate the spatiotemporal and integrative regulation of photosynthetic and photoprotection processes.

Advances

• Hormones strongly impact photosynthesis, both indirectly and directly.
• Not only CKs, but also auxin, GAs, and SLs are essential to modulate photosynthetic rates under optimal conditions at the whole-plant level.
• ABA, JAs, SA, and ethylene play a major role in the regulation of photosynthesis under various stress conditions.
• An integrated hormonal response at the whole-plant level allows the most adequate photosynthetic response to every developmental and stress situation.