Ca2+/calmodulin is critical for brassinosteroid biosynthesis and plant growth

Liqun Du; B W Poovaiah

doi:10.1038/nature03973

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Ca2+/calmodulin is critical for brassinosteroid biosynthesis and plant growth

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Ca2+/calmodulin is critical for brassinosteroid biosynthesis and plant growth

Liqun Du and B W Poovaiah

Nature (London), Vol.437(7059), pp.741-745

09/29/2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03973

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/110212

PMID: 16193053

Abstract

Protein Structure, Tertiary

Amino Acid Sequence

Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics

Calmodulin - metabolism

Immunoprecipitation

Arabidopsis - growth & development

Calcium - metabolism

Molecular Sequence Data

Mutation - genetics

Genetic Complementation Test

Arabidopsis - metabolism

Arabidopsis - genetics

Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism

Plant Growth Regulators - biosynthesis

Phenotype

Arabidopsis Proteins - chemistry

Protein Binding

Steroids - biosynthesis

Brassinosteroids are plant-specific steroid hormones that have an important role in coupling environmental factors, especially light, with plant growth and development. How the endogenous brassinosteroids change in response to environmental stimuli is largely unknown. Ca2+/calmodulin has an essential role in sensing and transducing environmental stimuli. Arabidopsis DWARF1 (DWF1) is responsible for an early step in brassinosteroid biosynthesis that converts 24-methylenecholesterol to campesterol. Here we show that DWF1 is a Ca2+/calmodulin-binding protein and this binding is critical for its function. Molecular genetic analysis using site-directed and deletion mutants revealed that loss of calmodulin binding completely abolished the function of DWF1 in planta, whereas partial loss of calmodulin binding resulted in a partial dwarf phenotype in complementation studies. These results provide direct proof that Ca2+/calmodulin-mediated signalling has a critical role in controlling the function of DWF1. Furthermore, we observed that DWF1 orthologues from other plants have a similar Ca2+/calmodulin-binding domain, implying that Ca2+/calmodulin regulation of DWF1 and its homologues is common in plants. These results raise the possibility of producing size-engineered crops by altering the Ca2+/calmodulin-binding property of their DWF1 orthologues.

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Title: Ca2+/calmodulin is critical for brassinosteroid biosynthesis and plant growth
Creators: Liqun Du - Center for Integrated Biotechnology and Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6414, USA
B W Poovaiah
Publication Details: Nature (London), Vol.437(7059), pp.741-745
Academic Unit: Horticulture, Department of
Publisher: England
Identifiers: 99900547297801842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Ca2+/calmodulin is critical for brassinosteroid biosynthesis and plant growth

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Abstract

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