Jasmonate signaling: integrating stress responses with developmental regulation in plants

Jasmonates (JAs) are essential phytohormones that coordinate plant defense and development in response to unpredictable environments. Recent advances have highlighted the SCF^COI1-JAZ-MYC2-MED25 module as a central hub for JA signaling, orchestrating transcriptional repression, derepression, activation, amplification, and feedback termination. This review summarizes current insights into the roles of JA in the regulation of biotic and abiotic stress responses and agronomic traits, including root development, regeneration, fertility, flowering, leaf senescence, and seed development, with a particular emphasis on the crosstalk between JA and a wound-induced peptide hormone, systemin, which mediates systemic wound responses. A deeper understanding of the JA regulatory mechanisms will provide valuable strategies for engineering crops with enhanced stress resilience and improved yields. We further propose JA-based strategies as a promising avenue for crop improvement.