A research team at CNU has achieved research results in discovering the signaling pathways of peptide hormones that regulate the process of plant reproduction and root development, which work in a similar way as in animal systems.

CNU Professor Kim Jeong-mook (Department of Bioenergy Engineering and Department of Convergence Food and Biotechnology) confirmed the signaling pathways of peptide hormones and the mechanisms of action of components that influence the regulation and integration of metabolism, growth, and morphogenesis in higher plants. The research team succeeded in synthesizing them and published a research paper on future research directions.

This paper was published in the online editions of Trends in Plant Science (Impact Factor: 14.414, top 1%) and Journal of Experimental Botany (Impact Factor: 5.908, top 6%), renowned botanical journals.

This research was conducted by the support from the Basic Laboratory of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the System Synthesis Biotechnology Project Group of the Agricultural Promotion Administration. The first co-authors are Dr. Kim Min-jung and Dr. Jeon Byung-wook.

The research team said, “In a situation where uncertainties in the world's agricultural productivity are increasing due to climate change, the need for the development of crops with dramatically increased productivity or carbon-neutral biofuel crops is increasing. Based on the results of this study, we will contribute to the productivity of agricultural and industrial crops, as well as the enhancement of biomass, and the breeding and development of new varieties through continuous research on the signaling pathways of plant peptide hormones.”