Ubiquitin ligase-coupled receptors extend their reach to jasmonate.

Plant growth and development is exquisitely tuned to the environment. The capacity for plants to adapt to myriad environmental stimuli is mediated by hormones that regulate virtually all aspects of development, physiology, and metabolism. The fatty acidderived hormone jasmonate (JA) is a prime example of a small molecule that orchestrates phenotypic plasticity in rapidly changing environments (Howe and Jander, 2008; Browse, 2009a; Pieterse et al., 2009). Remarkable recent progress in dissecting the JA pathway has opened up new opportunities to study mechanisms of small-molecule sensing, transcriptional regulation, and interconnectivity between hormone response pathways. Here, I discuss recent advances in JA perception and signaling, and highlight areas of research that promise to contribute to the future of plant biology.