Brassinosteroids – An Essential Steroidal Regulator: Its Structure, Synthesis and Signaling in Plant Growth and Development- A Review

Abstract

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oBrassinosteroids (BRs) are growth-initiating steroidal compound found in pollen, seeds, and young vegetative tissues throughout the plant kingdom. Brassinosteroids (BRs) collectively refers to naturally-occurring 5α cholestane steroids that elicit growth stimulation in nano-or micromolar concentrations. BRs that are biosynthesized using sterols as precursors are structurally similar to the cholesterol-derived, human steroid hormones and insect molting hormones. BRs have been known for decades to be effective in plant growth promotion. However, definitive evidence for their roles in growth and development remained unclear until the recent characterization of BR dwarf mutants isolated from Arabidopsis and other plants. This review inspects essential role of BRs in diverse developmental programs, including cell expansion, vascular differentiation, etiolation, and reproductive development. Current improvements regarding BR-regulated gene expression and signal transduction are also discussed.

Crosstalk of brassinosteroids with other phytohormones under various abiotic stresses

“…BRs not only trigger the germination, cell division, cell elongation, root growth development, induction ethylene biosynthesis [7] but also regulate cell cycle [8]. Moreover, BRs stimulate the growth of apical meristems in potato tubers [9], speeding up of the frequency of cell division in Petunia hybrida [10] and cell division and leaf expansion [11].…”