Plant 14-3-3 proteins catch up with their mammalian orthologs

Members of the eukaryotic 14-3-3 family are highly conserved proteins that have been implicated in the modulation of distinct biological processes by phosphorylation-dependent protein-protein interactions. In plants, 14-3-3 mediated regulation of house-keeping proteins such as nitrate reductase and the plasma membrane localized H+-ATPase has been intensely studied. Recent proteome-wide approaches have indicated that the plant 14-3-3 interactome is comparable in size and functional complexity to its animal counterpart and, furthermore, shifted the focus of attention to signal mediators. In this regard, in vivo analyses of certain signaling proteins, such as BRASSINAZOILE-RESISTANT 1, a transcription factor controlling brassinosteroid responsive gene expression, verified an essential role for 14-3-3s in hormonal signal transduction processes.