Control of cell growth by brassinosteroids.

Abstract Brassinosteroids (BRs) comprise a specific class of low-abundance plant steroids of ubiquitous occurrence in plants. Molecular genetic analysis of mutants defective in BR biosynthesis or response has demonstrated that the ability to synthesize, perceive and respond to BRs is critical for normal plant growth. In the last 10 years, more than a dozen reviews have summarized the impressive progress in our understanding of the BRs metabolism, including its regulation, and also in the identification of the various components of their signal transduction pathway. In this review, an insight into the BR-induced changes in biochemical and molecular mechanisms important to control cell growth is provided. Data presented in this review also demonstrate that BR control of cell growth rely on a broad variety of mechanisms.