What is it about?
In 1991 I wrote a minireview entitled “Plant hormones do have a role in controlling growth and development of algae”. At that time, I listed 7 criteria used by scientists working with higher plants to recognize hormone effects and asked myself if any published work with algae had shown similar results. My conclusion was that hormone effects had been demonstrated already but not everyone agreed. I recommended that more work was needed, and I also suggested that future lab work use cultures that were free of bacteria. There was separate evidence that bacteria that were associated with algae (especially marine seaweeds) can release some plant hormone-like chemicals and affect the growth of the algae. Since then, more research has been published on bacteria and seaweed interactions. For example, that these interactions occur has been proved and characterized by lab work using the model system of ‘sea lettuce’ (Ulva) seaweed species. An excellent paper, published in the journal Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology in early 2022, by Thomas Wichard gives an up-to-date review of this work.
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Why is it important?
This minireview has been cited by other scientists. I believe that my article helped to encourage more research in this area.
Perspectives
I was very interested in plant hormones. I was working with seaweeds and read all the journal articles. I wrote this minireview entirely at home as an extra activity and enjoyed doing it. Thanks to Susan Brawley (Assoc Editor of the journal of Phycology) for the opportunity to do this.
Dr Peter M Bradley
Worcester State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: PLANT HORMONES DO HAVE A ROLE IN CONTROLLING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALGAE, Journal of Phycology, June 1991, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1991.00317.x.
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