Plant growth hormones slip through cell membranes by a distinct route
Pane AJ, Jenness MK, Murphy AS, Klauda JB
Plant Signaling
Every time a seedling bends toward light or a stem thickens after a hard pruning, brassinosteroids are directing the change; this research maps the exact doorway those hormones use to exit the cell and get to work.
Plants produce hormones inside their cells that control growth, stem thickness, and stress responses. Releasing those hormones requires crossing the oily membrane that surrounds every cell, and that crossing is far from simple. This study used detailed computer models to show that plant growth hormones slip through the membrane differently than ordinary plant fats do, and pinpointed the route they take to reach the protein pumps that push them outward.
Key Findings
All-atom molecular dynamics simulations revealed thermodynamic differences between brassinolide and β-sitosterol passive transport across an asymmetric plant plasma membrane.
The simulations identified a specific diffusion pathway by which brassinolide becomes exposed to the entry sites of the ABCB1 and ABCB19 transporter proteins.
Brassinolide distributes asymmetrically between the disordered inner membrane leaflet and the tightly packed, sphingolipid-rich outer leaflet, a pattern distinct from β-sitosterol.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Computer simulations show that brassinolide, a plant growth hormone structurally similar to animal cholesterol, crosses the plasma membrane via a thermodynamically distinct route compared to common plant sterols. The findings clarify how these hormones reach the protein pumps that export them from the cell, advancing understanding of a process essential to plant development.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Brassinolide and β-Sitosterol Interleaflet Diffusion in an Asymmetric Plant Model Membrane.
Brassinosteroids (BR) are an essential steroid phytohormone found throughout the plant kingdom. Synthesis of BR occurs at the endoplasmic reticulum, and the mechanism of transport through the membr...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Nanoplastics interfere with plant-mycorrhizal communication and limit plant growth.
Microplastics breaking down in your garden soil are quietly strangling the beneficial fungi that help your vegetables absorb phosphorus and other nutrients, ...
Plant hormones are signal molecules produced within plants that regulate all aspects of growth, development, and physiological processes at extremely low concentrations. Understanding these hormone systems is critical for plant science because they control pathogen defense, stress tolerance, and
arrow_forward Explore topic