Drivers of strigolactone diversity: P450s in strigolactone biosynthesis.
Niu C, Bouwmeester HJ, Li C
Plant Signaling
Understanding exactly how plants make strigolactones could let plant breeders dial up the signals that recruit beneficial soil fungi while dialing down the ones that invite parasitic weeds like witchweed — a crop killer that devastates smallholder farms across Africa.
Plants make a family of chemicals called strigolactones that act like internal text messages, telling the plant how to grow and sending signals out into the soil. There are dozens of different versions of these chemicals, and scientists have now identified the key protein family responsible for creating so much variety. This opens the door to engineering crops that grow more efficiently and resist some of the most destructive plant parasites on Earth.
Key Findings
Cytochrome P450 enzymes are the primary drivers of strigolactone structural diversity across plant species
Significant progress has been made over the past decades identifying and functionally characterizing specific P450s involved in strigolactone biosynthesis
The research points toward practical agricultural applications, including potential strategies to manage parasitic weeds and improve plant-fungal symbiosis
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have mapped out the key enzymes responsible for why plants produce such a wide variety of strigolactones — chemical signals that control branching, root growth, and communication with soil fungi and parasitic weeds.
Abstract Preview
Strigolactones, as signaling molecules and plant hormones, play essential roles in rhizosphere communication and plant growth and development. Strigolactones are structurally highly diversified, su...
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