2017 Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 33-37
Striga hermonthica is a parasitic plant that deprives host plants of nutrients. This parasite causes the largest agricultural damage in Africa by spoiling main crops such as rice, corn, and sorghum. The agricultural losses are estimated to be 10 billion US dollars per year, making the Striga problem an issue to be urgently solved. Since the first isolation of strigolactone as a host-derived germination stimulant, the signaling mechanism of strigolactones has been the center of attention to control the Striga problem. However, the strigolactone receptor in Striga and its signaling mechanism remained elusive for a long time. Herein, we summarize recent progress in strigolactone research including the identification of the strigolactone receptors related to the Striga germination and the visualization of their function during germination. We envision that these progresses will provide a clue for elucidating the mechanism of Striga germination and, consequently, saving crop losses.
