Role of Brassinosteroid in Plant Adaptation to Abiotic Stresses and its Interplay with Other Hormones

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are ubiquitous plant steroid hormones, playing diverse roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. Defects in BRs biosynthesis or signaling result in physiologic and phenotypic abnormalities. To date, numerous studies have highlighted BRs-induced stress tolerance to various environmental extremes such as high temperature, chilling, drought, salinity and heavy metals in a range of plant species. However, the in-depth mechanisms of BRs-induced stress tolerance still remain largely unknown. It is now clear that BRs-induced stress responses are strictly concentration dependent and the optimal concentration for improving the plant adaptability may vary depending on the plant species, developmental stages and environmental conditions as well. Conflicting evidences concerning regulation of stress adaptation by BRs demand further elucidation of mechanism of BRs action in response to environmental stresses in plants. Recent advances in phytohormone research suggest that the effect of BRs on stress tolerance relies largely on its interplay with other hormones. In this review, we critically analyze the multifaceted roles of BRs in various abiotic stresses and its potential crosstalk with other hormones in stress adaptation. The discrepancy in the dose and mode of application of BRs analogues for stress management is also discussed.