In angiosperms, gibberellins (GAs) function as a key growth promoting hormone that regulates various developmental processes, such as seed germination, stem elongation and floral development. In recent years, research in non-seed plants revealed a stepwise model for GA evolution. While the complete biosynthesis pathway for canonical GAs and perception via the GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1) receptor are established in vascular plants, the production of GA precursors and the transcriptional regulator DELLA emerged along with ancestral land plants. In particular, studies in the model bryophytes, Marchantia polymorpha and Physcomitrium patens showed that compounds derived from the GA precursor ent-kaurenoic acid actively regulates light responses in these species. Biochemical and genetic experiments also indicated that DELLA proteins have ancestral functions to interact with various transcriptional factors and modulate plant growth before recruited into the GA signaling pathway. In this review, we focus on these recent progresses, hoping to provide an updated perspective of GA evolution in land plants.
