title: A positive approach to branching.
abstract: Plants regulate the development of branches in response to environmental and developmental signals in order to maximize reproductive success. A number of hormone signals are involved in the regulation of branching and both their production and transmission affect axillary meristem outgrowth. With the identification of strigolactones as root-derived branch inhibitors it seems likely that a biochemical pathway starting from a carotenoid and resulting in production of a strigolactone hormone is present in most plants. Our observation that loss of CCD7 or CCD8 also results in production of a promoter of branching from roots shows the branching pathway has multiple levels of control which allows a high degree of sensitivity to subtle differences in environmental and developmental signals.
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bart J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Revel S M
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ledger
authors.forename: Kimberley C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Snowden