Molecular Mechanisms of Brassinosteroid Action

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9728118 Clouse A great deal is known concerning the molecular mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate gene expression in vertebrates and insects. In contrast, the growth-promoting steroids found in higher plants are only beginning to be studied. Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones that act at low concentrations (one billionth of a gram) to profoundly affect the growth of a wide range of plants including arabidopsis, corn, soybean, rice, potatoes, radish, lettuce, pepper and oranges. With previous NSF support, our laboratory showed that brassinosteroids enhanced the elongation of stems and regulated gene expression in plants. The objective of the current NSF grant is to study the DNA sequences in brassinosteroid regulated genes that are responsible for controlling the response to these plant steroid hormones. Because brassinosteroids are similar in structure to animal steroid hormones, understanding their activity has great potential importance in basic developmental biology. In view of the multitude of demonstrated effects brassinosteroids have on crops, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of brassinosteroid action would have agricultural potential as well.