BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY AND

METABOLISM OF BRASSINOSTEROIDS

SUBMITTED TO - Dr. Rajendra Kumar Panda

PP-504

SUBMITTED BY-
Priyadarshani Mohapatra
Msc (Ag) 1st year
201222309
 INTRODUCTION
• Brassinosteroids are polyhydroxylated steroid hormones that influence
many of the same developmental systems as auxins.
• BRs are endogenous plant hormones essential for the proper
regulation of multiple physiological processes required for normal plant
growth and development.
• It is recognized as a sixth class of phytohormones.
• It is first explored during the 70s, when Mitchell et al. reported
promoting in stem elongation and cell division by the treatment of
organic extracts of rapeseed pollen.
• It occurs at low levels throughout the plant kingdom.
 DISCOVERY
• In the 1960s, studies of rape seed pollen led to the discovery of a common
compound that could induce elongation of bean hypocotyls. The yield of
brassinosteroids from 230 kg of rape seed pollen was only 10 mg.
• In 1979 it was identified as brassinolide.
• Another brassinosteroid was discovered in 1982 – castasterone – isolated from
insect galls on chestnut.
• More than 70 brassinosteroids have so far been identified from different parts
of plants such as pollens, seeds, leaves, stem, roots and flowers.
• One of the very common, well known and biologically active brassinosteroids in
plants is brassinolide.
STRUCTURE OF BRASSINOSTEROIDS
 PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF
BRASSINOSTEROIDS ON PLANTS
• Brassinosteroids affect wide range of growth and development process in
plants.
1. Promotion of cell elongation and cell division in shoots.
2. Root growth
3. Promotion of xylem differentiation and suppression of phloem.
4. Pollen tubes growth
5. Promotion of seed germination
6. Provide some protection to plants during chilling and drought stress.
7. Acceleration of senescence in dying tissue cultured cells; delayed senescence
in Br mutants supports that this action may be biologically relevant.
MOLECULAR AND PHYSIOLOGICAL
RESPONSES
 Biosynthetic pathway
• Brassinosteroids are biosynthesized from a C28 plant sterol
called campesterol by a reductive step followed by several
oxidative steps.
• The biosynthesis of brassinolide from campesterol requires
approximately 12 steps.
• The reductive step step and one of the several oxidative steps
are catalysed by enzymes DET2 (Arabidopsis deetiolated2) and
CPD (carboxypeptidase D) respectively.
• Campesterol is in turn derived from triterpene called squalene.
PATHWAY
 SIGNALLING PATHWAY
• The receptor of BR-signalling pathway located on plasma membrane.
• The main receptor is a serine-threonine-kinase called BRI1
(BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1).
• BRI1 requires another protein called BAK1 (BRI1 Associated Receptor
Kinase 1).
• There is a inhibitory protein called BKI1 (BRI1 Kinase Inhibitor 1)
associated with cytoplasmic domain of BRI1 and which prevent
dimerization between BRI1 and BKI1.
• There may be many transcription factors that are targets of BR-
signalling. One such factor is BZR1 (BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1).
• There is a suppressor protein called BIN2 (BR INSENSITIVE 2) which
promotes phosphorylation of BZR1.
• BR- signalling chain mediates dephosphorylation of BZR1. It may
also degrade BIN2 altogether by proteasome system.
• Both these processes ensure movement of BZR1 into the nucleus.
• Once inside the nucleus, BZR1 binds to target sites in the
promotor regions of BR- sensitive genes to initiate transcription.
 METABOLISM OF BRs
• BR metabolism may result in a loss of BR activity and decrease the size
of the bioactive BR pool.
• So the analysis of Br metabolism at the molecular and biochemical
levels is necessary to understand the regulatory mechanism of
bioactive BRs.
• There are some types of metabolic processes involving brassinosteroids
in plants : dehydrogenation, demethylation, epimerization,
esterification, glycosylation, hydroxylation and sulfonation.
• Metabolism of BRs can be divided into two categories
I . Structural changes to the steroidal skeleton
ii . Structural changes to the side-chain.
• Metabolism of castasterone and brassinolide
has been studied on explants of mung bean.
Finally the 6-oxo group of CS is oxidized to a
lacton group of BL.
• Metabolism of 24-epicastasterone and
24-epibrassinolide has been studied in
cultured cells of tomato and serradella.
• Metabolism of teasterone derivatives
in cultured cells of tomato, immature seeds
of common bean and seedlings of thale
cress.
 CONCLUSIONS
• During the past five years, research on BR biosynthesis and its
regulation has made dramatic advances because of the wide variety
of BR-deficient and BR-insensitive mutants that have been identified.
• It is now possible to manipulate BR production by altering the
expression of BR genes.
• Such technology, as well as being extremely useful research tools,
will assist in the development of novel inhibitors and promoters of
BR biosynthesis and signalling, with major potential for use on a
commercial basis as refined and selective agrochemicals.
THANK YOU