Brassinosteroids Biology in Plants Under Pesticide Stress: Physiological and Molecular Aspects

Pesticides are an indispensable tool for farmers to protect their crops from the devastating effects of insects and other pests. BRs are essential polyhydroxylated steroidal phytohormones for plant growth, development, and production. It is well recognized that brassinosteroids (BRs) provide protection to plants against a range of abiotic stressors, including heavy metals, drought, temperature changes, and pesticides. Brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1), a key transcription factor (TF) that controls the transcription of BR-responsive genes in the nucleus, is activated when BR receptors detect BR at the cell surface. This process is initiated by a sequence of phosphorylation events. BRs function by triggering the antioxidant defense mechanism to reduce the toxicity of pesticides in intact plants. Additionally, BRs speed up the process of pesticide breakdown, which lowers the amount of pesticide residues in various plant components. An updated understanding of the protective functions of BRs in plants and the underlying detailed mechanisms under pesticide stress is provided by the current review.