Shozo Fujioka

TL;DR: The results demonstrate that BZR1 is a positive regulator of the BR signaling pathway that mediates both downstream BR responses and feedback regulation of BR biosynthesis.

TL;DR: It is shown that BRI1 functions as a receptor of brassinolide, the most active brassinosteroid, and is a receptor kinase that transduces steroid signals across the plasma membrane.

TL;DR: The phenotypical and molecular characterization of a rice dwarf mutant, d61, that is less sensitive to BR compared to the wild type is reported, and introduction of the entire OsBRI1 coding region into d61 plants complemented the mutation to display the wild-type phenotype.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that brassinosteroids bind directly to the 94 amino acids comprising ID-LRR22 in the extracellular domain of BRI1, and define a new binding domain for steroid hormones.

TL;DR: It is shown that the erect leaf phenotype of a rice brassinosteroid–deficient mutant, osdwarf4-1, is associated with enhanced grain yields under conditions of dense planting, even without extra fertilizer, suggesting that regulated genetic modulation of brassinosterone biosynthesis can improve crops without the negative environmental effects of fertilizers.