Controlling Hormone Action by Subversion and Deception

摘要

The Nobel chemist Roald Hoffmann described molecular mimicry as a mechanism founded on subversion and deception. On page 85 of this issue, Soon et al. (1) report intriguing evidence for such mimicry in the transmission of signals elicited by the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Using the model plant Arabi-dopsis thaliana, the authors show that the ABA-bound receptor and kinase alternately bind to a phosphatase, turning on and off this stress-responsive pathway, respectively. Not surprisingly, ABA is behind this "subversive" dealing in partner swapping. ABA is a terpenoid that promotes seed maturation, prevents germination, and curtails excessive water loss during vegetative growth. In the face of climate warming and water shortages, modifying ABA synthesis or perception as possible solutions to sustain crop yield for food and fuel has attracted the interests of policy planners and scientists.