Strigol: Biogenesis and physiological activity

A brief survey of recent discoveries on the biosynthetic origin and mode of action of the strigolactone germination stimulants. The role played by molecules of the strigolactone family in stimulating the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds of the genera Striga, Orobanche and Alectra has never be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytochemistry (Oxford) 2006-04, Vol.67 (7), p.636-640
Main Authors: Humphrey, Andrew J., Beale, Michael H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biosynthesis
chemical constituents of plants
Chemical constitution
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General pharmacology
Germination - physiology
Germination stimulant
Isoprenoids
lactones
Lactones - chemistry
Lactones - metabolism
literature reviews
Medical sciences
Orobanchaceae
parasitic plants
Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Plant Physiological Phenomena
Plant physiology and development
Plant Roots - chemistry
Plant Roots - metabolism
Scrophulariaceae
seed germination
Striga
Striga - chemistry
Striga - metabolism
Strigol
Strigolactones
Terpenes - chemistry
Terpenes - metabolism
Witchweed
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Summary:A brief survey of recent discoveries on the biosynthetic origin and mode of action of the strigolactone germination stimulants. The role played by molecules of the strigolactone family in stimulating the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds of the genera Striga, Orobanche and Alectra has never been clearly elucidated. The biogenesis of these unusual terpenoid lactones, originally identified in minute quantities in the root exudates of a small number of host plants and two or three “false hosts”, also remains obscure. These lactones, as the chemical signals which initiate the life cycle of Striga, are consequently at the forefront of the Striga research effort. This paper reviews recent key discoveries relating to the biosynthesis and mode of action of strigolactones, and summarises the evidence suggesting that these molecules may be far more widely distributed and have a greater physiological significance than has hitherto been appreciated.
ISSN:0031-9422
1873-3700
DOI:10.1016/j.phytochem.2005.12.026