Shoot branching regulation and signaling

Plant development and structure are constantly adjusted throughout their life cycle to adapt environmental changes in nature. The amount of branches mainly depends on whether axillary buds form, release and growth of axillary buds. The plants branching is regulated by many factors including gene transcription, hormone homeostasis, and environmental factors such as light, water, and nutrition. People control shoot branching according to their demands to facilitate agricultural production. The activation and growth of lateral branches depend on a variety of internal and external environmental signals. Here we reviewed the recent progresses on genes, hormones, signaling materials, and external environmental conditions on the development of lateral branches in plant. Understanding these key nodes or regulatory networks is necessary and worthy challenges. The discussion of the factors affecting the formation of lateral branches provides a basis for the rational method of crop breeding and the cultivation of ideal plant type crops.