Relationship between brassinosteroids and genes controlling stomatal production in the Arabidopsis hypocotyl.

Stomata are excellent model systems for examining the mechanisms that regulate cell fate determination and pattern formation. It has recently been demonstrated that brassinosteroids control stomatal development by regulating both the MAPK kinase kinase YODA and the basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional factor SPEECHLESS. Here, we show that these plant regulators positively regulate stomatal formation in the hypocotyl and also accelerate their development. Hormone tests, reporter gene studies and mutant analyses revealed that brassinosteroids act upstream of the transcriptional factors CAPRICE and GLABRA2. These plant regulators control an earlier stage of stomatal production than those regulated by the membrane receptor TOO MANY MOUTHS. This work highlights differences in the genetic control of stomatal development between cotyledons or leaves and hypocotyls.