Work

Brassinosteroids in maize: Biosynthesis, signaling pathways, and impacts on agronomic traits

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Maize is one of the most widely cultivated crops for producing human food, animal feed, and ethanol biofuel. Recent studies have indicated that brassinosteroids (BRs), essential phytohormones for plant growth, development and stress adaptation across plant species, significantly regulate several maize agronomic traits , such as plant height, leaf angle, reproductive development and kernel size. So far, most previous reviews have mainly focused on discussing molecular functions of BRs in model plants like Arabidopsis and rice. A detailed summary of BRs in maize, however, has not yet been presented. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the biosynthesis and signaling transduction pathways of BRs, and summarize the roles of BRs in regulating some agronomic traits such as plant architecture and kernel yield in maize. We also discuss potential opportunities and challenges associated with leveraging BR-centered molecular design strategies for maize improvement.

Source: Current Plant Biology

DOI: 10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100465

Authors: Jingjie Zhang, Shiyi Wu, Miao Wang, Jinke Chang, Xiaopeng Li

Institutions: Guangzhou University, Tangshan Normal University, Northwest A&F University

Language: English

Topic: Plant Molecular Biology Research

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,440