14-3-3 Proteins in Plant Hormone Signaling: Doing Several Things at Once

• Main Authors: Lorenzo Camoni, Sabina Visconti, Patrizia Aducci, Mauro Marra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2018-03-01
• Series: Frontiers in Plant Science
• Subjects: 14-3-3 proteins; hormone signaling; brassinosteroids; auxin; abscisic acid; gibberellins
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2018.00297/full

In this review we highlight the advances achieved in the investigation of the role of 14-3-3 proteins in hormone signaling, biosynthesis, and transport. 14-3-3 proteins are a family of conserved molecules that target a number of protein clients through their ability to recognize well-defined phosphorylated motifs. As a result, they regulate several cellular processes, ranging from metabolism to transport, growth, development, and stress response. High-throughput proteomic data and two-hybrid screen demonstrate that 14-3-3 proteins physically interact with many protein clients involved in the biosynthesis or signaling pathways of the main plant hormones, while increasing functional evidence indicates that 14-3-3-target interactions play pivotal regulatory roles. These advances provide a framework of our understanding of plant hormone action, suggesting that 14-3-3 proteins act as hubs of a cellular web encompassing different signaling pathways, transducing and integrating diverse hormone signals in the regulation of physiological processes.