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Growth Regulators in Plants

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 22610

Special Issue Editor

Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Interests: development of new approaches for isolation and determination of phytohormone metabolites; tissue-, cell- and organelle-specific profiling of auxin metabolome; studying of phytohormones’ biosynthesis and metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant hormones (phytohormones) are naturally occurring small signaling molecules. These organic substances regulate all aspects of plant growth and development, as well as responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The main groups of hormones produced by plants are auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, ethylene, salicylic acid, jasmonates, brassinosteroids and strigolactones. Other substances with a phytohormonal effect also include signal peptides or polyamines. Not only do naturally occurring phytohormones deserve attention, but also synthetic growth regulators, which play an important role in phytohormonal research, plant tissue cultures and agriculture.

Phytohormones act in extremely low concentrations, which has made, and still makes, their investigation very difficult. Recent advances in molecular biology and analytical chemistry have helped to reveal the mechanisms of phytohormones’ action.

This issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences will focus on recent ressearch on plant hormone biology. Novel bioanalytical methods for the investigation of phytohormones’ metabolic pathways, as well as the praparation and testing of novel synthetic plant growth regulators and their derivatives, are also welcome.

Dr. Aleš Pěnčík
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • phytohormones
  • plant growth regulators
  • biosynthesis
  • metabolism
  • phytohormone signaling
  • transport
  • plant hormone derivatives
  • biological activity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 24246 KiB  
Article
Exogenous Application of Low-Concentration Sugar Enhances Brassinosteroid Signaling for Skotomorphogenesis by Promoting BIN2 Degradation
by Huachun Sheng, Shuangxi Zhang, Yanping Wei and Shaolin Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(24), 13588; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222413588 - 18 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2528
Abstract
In plants, seedling growth is subtly controlled by multiple environmental factors and endogenous phytohormones. The cross-talk between sugars and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling is known to regulate plant growth; however, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate hormone-dependent growth responses with exogenous sucrose in plants are [...] Read more.
In plants, seedling growth is subtly controlled by multiple environmental factors and endogenous phytohormones. The cross-talk between sugars and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling is known to regulate plant growth; however, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate hormone-dependent growth responses with exogenous sucrose in plants are incompletely understood. Skotomorphogenesis is a plant growth stage with rapid elongation of the hypocotyls. In the present study, we found that low-concentration sugars could improve skotomorphogenesis in a manner dependent on BR biosynthesis and TOR activation. However, accumulation of BZR1 in bzr1-1D mutant plants partially rescued the defects of skotomorphogenesis induced by the TOR inhibitor AZD, and these etiolated seedlings displayed a normal phenotype like that of wild-type seedlings in response to both sucrose and non-sucrose treatments, thereby indicating that accumulated BZR1 sustained, at least partially, the sucrose-promoted growth of etiolated seedlings (skotomorphogenesis). Moreover, genetic evidence based on a phenotypic analysis of bin2-3bil1bil2 triple-mutant and gain-of-function bin2–1 mutant plant indicated that BIN2 inactivation was conducive to skotomorphogenesis in the dark. Subsequent biochemical and molecular analyses enabled us to confirm that sucrose reduced BIN2 levels via the TOR–S6K2 pathway in etiolated seedlings. Combined with a determination of the cellulose content, our results indicated that sucrose-induced BIN2 degradation led to the accumulation of BZR1 and the enhancement of cellulose synthesis, thereby promoting skotomorphogenesis, and that BIN2 is the converging node that integrates sugar and BR signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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13 pages, 2370 KiB  
Article
Auxin Metabolite Profiling in Isolated and Intact Plant Nuclei
by Vladimír Skalický, Tereza Vojtková, Aleš Pěnčík, Jan Vrána, Katarzyna Juzoń, Veronika Koláčková, Michaela Sedlářová, Martin F. Kubeš and Ondřej Novák
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(22), 12369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222212369 - 16 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2436
Abstract
The plant nucleus plays an irreplaceable role in cellular control and regulation by auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) mainly because canonical auxin signaling takes place here. Auxin can enter the nucleus from either the endoplasmic reticulum or cytosol. Therefore, new information about the auxin [...] Read more.
The plant nucleus plays an irreplaceable role in cellular control and regulation by auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) mainly because canonical auxin signaling takes place here. Auxin can enter the nucleus from either the endoplasmic reticulum or cytosol. Therefore, new information about the auxin metabolome (auxinome) in the nucleus can illuminate our understanding of subcellular auxin homeostasis. Different methods of nuclear isolation from various plant tissues have been described previously, but information about auxin metabolite levels in nuclei is still fragmented and insufficient. Herein, we tested several published nucleus isolation protocols based on differential centrifugation or flow cytometry. The optimized sorting protocol leading to promising yield, intactness, and purity was then combined with an ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry analysis. Using this approach, we can present the first complex report on the auxinome of isolated nuclei from cell cultures of Arabidopsis and tobacco. Moreover, our results show dynamic changes in auxin homeostasis at the intranuclear level after treatment of protoplasts with free IAA, or indole as a precursor of auxin biosynthesis. Finally, we can conclude that the methodological procedure combining flow cytometry and mass spectrometry offers new horizons for the study of auxin homeostasis at the subcellular level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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18 pages, 2977 KiB  
Article
Auxin Metabolome Profiling in the Arabidopsis Endoplasmic Reticulum Using an Optimised Organelle Isolation Protocol
by Ludmila Včelařová, Vladimír Skalický, Ivo Chamrád, René Lenobel, Martin F. Kubeš, Aleš Pěnčík and Ondřej Novák
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(17), 9370; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22179370 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3330
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an extensive network of intracellular membranes. Its major functions include proteosynthesis, protein folding, post-transcriptional modification and sorting of proteins within the cell, and lipid anabolism. Moreover, several studies have suggested that it may be involved in regulating intracellular [...] Read more.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an extensive network of intracellular membranes. Its major functions include proteosynthesis, protein folding, post-transcriptional modification and sorting of proteins within the cell, and lipid anabolism. Moreover, several studies have suggested that it may be involved in regulating intracellular auxin homeostasis in plants by modulating its metabolism. Therefore, to study auxin metabolome in the ER, it is necessary to obtain a highly enriched (ideally, pure) ER fraction. Isolation of the ER is challenging because its biochemical properties are very similar to those of other cellular endomembranes. Most published protocols for ER isolation use density gradient ultracentrifugation, despite its suboptimal resolving power. Here we present an optimised protocol for ER isolation from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings for the subsequent mass spectrometric determination of ER-specific auxin metabolite profiles. Auxin metabolite analysis revealed highly elevated levels of active auxin form (IAA) within the ER compared to whole plants. Moreover, samples prepared using our optimised isolation ER protocol are amenable to analysis using various “omics” technologies including analyses of both macromolecular and low molecular weight compounds from the same sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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22 pages, 14002 KiB  
Article
Overdominance at the Gene Expression Level Plays a Critical Role in the Hybrid Root Growth of Brassica napus
by Nesma Shalby, Ibrahim A. A. Mohamed, Jie Xiong, Kaining Hu, Yebitao Yang, Elsayed Nishawy, Bin Yi, Jing Wen, Chaozhi Ma, Jinxiong Shen, Tingdong Fu and Jinxing Tu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(17), 9246; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22179246 - 26 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2133
Abstract
Despite heterosis contributing to genetic improvements in crops, root growth heterosis in rapeseed plants is poorly understood at the molecular level. The current study was performed to discover key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to heterosis in two hybrids with contrasting root growth [...] Read more.
Despite heterosis contributing to genetic improvements in crops, root growth heterosis in rapeseed plants is poorly understood at the molecular level. The current study was performed to discover key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to heterosis in two hybrids with contrasting root growth performance (FO; high hybrid and FV; low hybrid) based on analysis of the root heterosis effect. Based on comparative transcriptomic analysis, we believe that the overdominance at the gene expression level plays a critical role in hybrid roots’ early biomass heterosis. Our findings imply that a considerable increase in up-regulation of gene expression underpins heterosis. In the FO hybrid, high expression of DEGs overdominant in the starch/sucrose and galactose metabolic pathways revealed a link between hybrid vigor and root growth. DEGs linked to auxin, cytokinin, brassinosteroids, ethylene, and abscisic acid were also specified, showing that these hormones may enhance mechanisms of root growth and the development in the FO hybrid. Moreover, transcription factors such as MYB, ERF, bHLH, NAC, bZIP, and WRKY are thought to control downstream genes involved in root growth. Overall, this is the first study to provide a better understanding related to the regulation of the molecular mechanism of heterosis, which assists in rapeseed growth and yield improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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Review

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26 pages, 5081 KiB  
Review
Salicylic Acid in Root Growth and Development
by Zulfira Z. Bagautdinova, Nadya Omelyanchuk, Aleksandr V. Tyapkin, Vasilina V. Kovrizhnykh, Viktoriya V. Lavrekha and Elena V. Zemlyanskaya
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(4), 2228; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23042228 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 6482
Abstract
In plants, salicylic acid (SA) is a hormone that mediates a plant’s defense against pathogens. SA also takes an active role in a plant’s response to various abiotic stresses, including chilling, drought, salinity, and heavy metals. In addition, in recent years, numerous studies [...] Read more.
In plants, salicylic acid (SA) is a hormone that mediates a plant’s defense against pathogens. SA also takes an active role in a plant’s response to various abiotic stresses, including chilling, drought, salinity, and heavy metals. In addition, in recent years, numerous studies have confirmed the important role of SA in plant morphogenesis. In this review, we summarize data on changes in root morphology following SA treatments under both normal and stress conditions. Finally, we provide evidence for the role of SA in maintaining the balance between stress responses and morphogenesis in plant development, and also for the presence of SA crosstalk with other plant hormones during this process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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14 pages, 1003 KiB  
Review
Biosynthesis and Roles of Salicylic Acid in Balancing Stress Response and Growth in Plants
by Qinling Zhong, Hongliang Hu, Baofang Fan, Cheng Zhu and Zhixiang Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(21), 11672; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222111672 - 28 Oct 2021
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 3819
Abstract
Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant hormone with a critical role in plant defense against pathogen infection. Despite extensive research over the past 30 year or so, SA biosynthesis and its complex roles in plant defense are still not fully understood. Even [...] Read more.
Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant hormone with a critical role in plant defense against pathogen infection. Despite extensive research over the past 30 year or so, SA biosynthesis and its complex roles in plant defense are still not fully understood. Even though earlier biochemical studies suggested that plants synthesize SA from cinnamate produced by phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), genetic analysis has indicated that in Arabidopsis, the bulk of SA is synthesized from isochorismate (IC) produced by IC synthase (ICS). Recent studies have further established the enzymes responsible for the conversion of IC to SA in Arabidopsis. However, it remains unclear whether other plants also rely on the ICS pathway for SA biosynthesis. SA induces defense genes against biotrophic pathogens, but represses genes involved in growth for balancing defense and growth to a great extent through crosstalk with the growth-promoting plant hormone auxin. Important progress has been made recently in understanding how SA attenuates plant growth by regulating the biosynthesis, transport, and signaling of auxin. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the biosynthesis and the broad roles of SA in regulating plant growth during defense responses. Further understanding of SA production and its regulation of both defense and growth will be critical for developing better knowledge to improve the disease resistance and fitness of crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Growth Regulators in Plants)
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