First published online September 23, 2005; 10.1104/pp.105.061382
Plant Physiology 139:920-934 (2005)
© 2005 American Society of Plant Biologists
PLANTS INTERACTING WITH OTHER ORGANISMS
The Strigolactone Germination Stimulants of the Plant-Parasitic Striga and Orobanche spp. Are Derived from the Carotenoid Pathway1
Radoslava Matusova,
Kumkum Rani,
Francel W.A. Verstappen,
Maurice C.R. Franssen,
Michael H. Beale and
Harro J. Bouwmeester*
Plant Research International, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands (R.M., K.R., F.W.A.V., H.J.B.); Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra, Slovakia (R.M.); Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands (M.C.R.F.); and Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom (M.H.B.)
The seeds of parasitic plants of the genera Striga and Orobanche will only germinate after induction by a chemical signal exuded from the roots of their host. Up to now, several of these germination stimulants have been isolated and identified in the root exudates of a series of host plants of both Orobanche and Striga spp. In most cases, the compounds were shown to be isoprenoid and belong to one chemical class, collectively called the strigolactones, and suggested by many authors to be sesquiterpene lactones. However, this classification was never proven; hence, the biosynthetic pathways of the germination stimulants are unknown. We have used carotenoid mutants of maize (Zea mays) and inhibitors of isoprenoid pathways on maize, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and assessed the effects on the root exudate-induced germination of Striga hermonthica and Orobanche crenata. Here, we show that for these three host and two parasitic plant species, the strigolactone germination stimulants are derived from the carotenoid pathway. Furthermore, we hypothesize how the germination stimulants are formed. We also discuss this finding as an explanation for some phenomena that have been observed for the host-parasitic plant interaction, such as the effect of mycorrhiza on S. hermonthica infestation.
1 This work was supported in part by the European Commission (the FP5 European Union project Improved Striga Control in Maize and Sorghum [International Collaboration with Developing Countries, ICA4CT200030012; to H.J.B.] and the FP6 European Union Project Grain Legumes [FOODCT2004506223; to H.J.B. and R.M.]); by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management, and Fisheries in the form of an International Agricultural Centre fellowship (to R.M.) and the NorthSouth program (to H.J.B.); by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (North Atlantic Treaty Organization visiting scientist fellowships to R.M. and K.R.); and by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (a fellowship under the Cooperative Research Program: Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agriculture Systems [to R.M.]).
Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.105.061382.
* Corresponding author; e-mail harro.bouwmeester{at}wur.nl; fax 0031317418094.
Received February 18, 2005;
returned for revision April 3, 2005;
accepted June 26, 2005.
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