AUTHOR=Aboobucker Siddique I. , Suza Walter P. 

TITLE=Why Do Plants Convert Sitosterol to Stigmasterol?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00354

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2019.00354

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>A direct role for cholesterol signaling in mammals is clearly established; yet, the direct role in signaling for a plant sterol or sterol precursor is unclear. Fluctuations in sitosterol and stigmasterol levels during development and stress conditions suggest their involvement in signaling activities essential for plant development and stress compensation. Stigmasterol may be involved in gravitropism and tolerance to abiotic stress. The isolation of stigmasterol biosynthesis mutants offers a promising tool to test the function of sterol end products in signaling responses to developmental and environmental cues.</p>