Mechanisms and Strategies Shaping Plant Peptide Hormones

Plant genomes encode a variety of short peptides acting as signaling molecules. Since the discovery of tomato systemin, a myriad of peptide signals, ranging in size, structure and modifications, have been found in plants. Moreover, new peptides are still being identified. Surprisingly, non-plant organisms, especially pathogens, also produce peptides which exert hormonal activities against host plants by hijacking their endogenous reception systems. In this review, we focus on short secretory peptides ranging from five to 20 amino acids. We first summarize recent advances in understanding relationships between the bioactivities and structures of plant peptide hormones. Subsequently, we introduce the topic of peptides produced by non-plant organisms. Lastly, we describe artificial peptides synthesized in laboratories, which possess intriguing bioactive properties beyond those of natural peptide hormones.