CPSC Lecture with Prof. Ana I. Caño-Delgado

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are pivotal plant hormones that regulate growth, development, and responses to abiotic stress. While the canonical receptor BRI1 has been extensively characterized in Arabidopsis, the roles of its vascular counterparts BRL1 and BRL3 remained elusive until recent discoveries highlighted their contribution to spatially restricted signaling promoting drought tolerance without penalizing growth [1,2]. Our work on BRL3-mediated signaling has redefined the classical model of BR action and laid the groundwork for translational applications in crops.

In this talk, I will present how we are translating our mechanistic understanding of BR signaling into Sorghum bicolor, a climate-resilient cereal essential for food security. We have recently characterized BRI1 mutants in sorghum at the molecular and physiological levels, revealing specific signaling mechanisms unique to this crop species [3]. Additionally, we demonstrated that untargeted mutagenesis of SbBRI1 confers enhanced drought tolerance by rewiring phenylpropanoid metabolism [4]. These findings provide direct evidence that BR signaling is a viable target for crop improvement under climate stress.

To accelerate this translation, we also developed an efficient transformation system for sorghum and maize, enabling functional studies and biotechnological applications in cereals that were previously recalcitrant to genetic manipulation [5].

Our integrative approach—combining genetics, phenomics, metabolomics, and transformation technologies—supports the design of climate-smart crops through vascular-specific modulation of hormone signaling, with far-reaching implications for agriculture and sustainability.

Selected references

  1. Fàbregas N et al. Overexpression of BRL3 confers drought resistance without penalizing growth. Nat Commun.2018. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06861-3
  2. Gupta A et al. BRL3 triggers systemic adaptation to elevated temperature. bioRxiv. 2023. doi:10.1101/2023.03.07.531487
  3. Rico-Medina A et al. Molecular and physiological characterization of brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 mutants in Sorghum bicolor. NewPhytol. 2025. doi:10.1111/nph.20443
  4. Fontanet-Manzaneque JB et al. Untargeted mutagenesis of brassinosteroid receptor SbBRI1 confers drought tolerance... Plant Biotechnol J. 2024. doi:10.1111/pbi.14461
  5. Fontanet-Manzaneque JB et al. Efficient sorghum and maize transformation using a ternary vector system... Plant J.2024. doi:10.1111/tpj.17101

Time and place

25. Apr. 2025, 10:00-11:00

Auditorium A2-81.01 (Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg)

Zoom Link: https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/66739464167?pwd=LHfjBB279D00LIVZgUDzBzM2Jg5JrL.1