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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Early Access

Integrative role of hormonal crosstalk in plant growth regulation- A review

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13153
Submitted
10 December 2025
Published
20-04-2026

Abstract

Plant growth regulators (PGRs), like auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, ethylene, jasmonates and strigolactones, are central managers of plant development and stress adaptation. Their actions are controlled by biosynthesis, translocation and hormonal crosstalk, which jointly enable precise regulation of growth from embryogenesis to decline. Recent studies uncover intricate spatial and temporal control of Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) biosynthesis, for example, auxins in meristems via YUCCA Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase (YUCCA) enzymes, cytokinins in root tips via Isopentenyltransferase (IPT), Abscisic Acid (ABA) in vascular parenchyma under drought via cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase (NCED) and ethylene via ACC synthase/oxidase under stress. Directed transport, like phloem-mediated gibberellin movement, polar auxin transport and xylem-dependent ABA redistribution, establishes hormonal gradients essential for developmental patterning. Crosstalk among hormones, including ABA-ethylene synergy and auxin-cytokinin antagonism integrates environmental and endogenous signals to fine-tune growth-defence trade-offs and stress toughness. Emerging paradigms, like scaffold-mediated signalling and hormonal hormesis, further highlight the originality of regulatory mechanisms that organize growth with adaptive responses. Comprehending these networks offers avenues for biotechnological applications, such as engineering crops with improved growth and stress tolerance. Future research should emphasise single-cell hormone mapping, synthetic hormone circuits and the roles of non-canonical PGRs in niche signalling.

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