Involvement of brassinosteroid signals in the floral-induction network of Arabidopsis

J Exp Bot. 2010 Oct;61(15):4221-30. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erq241. Epub 2010 Aug 4.

Abstract

The transition to flowering is known to be regulated by numerous interacting endogenous and environmental cues, of which brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of polyhydroxylated steroid phytohormones, appear to be linked to the regulation of flowering time. In Arabidopsis, BR biosynthetic det2 mutants exhibited delayed flowering time by at least 10 d compared with the wild type. The levels of endogenous BRs in det2 were below 10% of the wild type. The timing of flowering was also delayed in the BR biosynthetic dwf4 and cpd mutants and in the BR-insensitive bri1 mutants. Because brassinolide (BL) and different BL precursors were over-accumulated in BR biosynthetic mutants and BR-insensitive bri1 mutants, this showed that alterations in the endogenous BL content and the level of different BL precursors affect flowering time in Arabidopsis. The late-flowering phenotypes of bri1 also showed that components of the BR signal transduction pathway affect flowering time. So far, reports on a connection between BRs and flowering time are limited. This review summarizes recent advances regarding the action of BRs in the transition to flowering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Biosynthetic Pathways
  • Brassinosteroids
  • Cholestanols / metabolism*
  • Flowers / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Steroids, Heterocyclic / metabolism*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Brassinosteroids
  • Cholestanols
  • Steroids, Heterocyclic
  • brassinolide