Strigolactones, how are they synthesized to regulate plant growth and development?

Strigolactones (SLs) are multifunctional plant metabolites working not only as allelochemicals in the rhizosphere, but also as a novel class of hormones regulating growth and development in planta. To date, more than 30 SLs have been characterized, but the reason why plants produce structurally diverse SLs and the details of their biosynthetic pathway remain elusive. Recent studies using transcriptomics and reverse genetic techniques have paved the way to clarify the entire biosynthetic pathway of structurally diverse SLs. In this review, we discuss how various SLs are synthesized and what SL structural diversity means for plant growth and development.

Automated summary

Strigolactones (SLs) are multifunctional plant metabolites that act as allelochemicals in the rhizosphere and as hormones regulating growth and development in planta. Recent studies using transcriptomics and reverse genetic techniques have helped clarify the biosynthetic pathway of structurally diverse SLs, shedding light on the significance of SL structural diversity for plant growth and development.