Scientists Discover Protein Controlling Strigolactone-dependent Symbiotic Signaling

About 80 percent of terrestrial plants have symbiotic relationship with soil fungi. University of Zurich biologists discovered that a special transport protein is needed to start this symbiotic relationship. The findings of the researchers could help control the protein for plants to have better yield.

In the symbiotic relationship, the fungus provides the plant with water and important nutrients and elements, while the plant supplies carbohydrates needed by the fungus. This relationship is induced by low nutrient levels in plants. In such situations, the plant roots release a hormone called strigolactone, which is detected by the fungi. However, this hormone can also stimulate germination of root-parasitic weeds.

The research team studied the transport of strigolactones. They found out that a protein (PhPDR1) is responsible for the transport of the hormone. They also observed that PhPDR1 is highly expressed when there is low nutrient content to attract more fungi that could supply nutrients. However, for plants that do not form symbiotic relationships with the fungi, high expression of the protein activates transport of strigolactones again. The inhibition of the transporter protein will prevent germination of weeds that use up the host plants' resources.

Read the original articles at http://www.mediadesk.uzh.ch/articles/2012/petunie_en.html and http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10873.html.