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The strigolactone pathway plays a crucial role in integrating metabolic and nutritional signals in plants

Nature Plants volume 9, pages 1191–1200 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Strigolactones are rhizosphere signals and phytohormones that play crucial roles in plant development. They are also well known for their role in integrating nitrate and phosphate signals to regulate shoot and root development. More recently, sugars and citrate (an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle) were reported to inhibit the strigolactone response, with dramatic effects on shoot architecture. This Review summarizes the discoveries recently made concerning the mechanisms through which the strigolactone pathway integrates sugar, metabolite and nutrient signals. We highlight here that strigolactones and MAX2-dependent signalling play crucial roles in mediating the impacts of nutritional and metabolic cues on plant development and metabolism. We also discuss and speculate concerning the role of these interactions in plant evolution and adaptation to their environment.

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Fig. 1: Interactions between nutrients and the strigolactone pathway.
Fig. 2: Interactions between primary metabolism and MAX2.
Fig. 3: Role of strigolactones in the integration of abiotic stresses.
Fig. 4: Suspected role of the interactions between nutrients and strigolactone in plant evolution.

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Acknowledgements

We thank N. Shabek for fruitful discussions on this topic, K. Yoneyama for providing the molecular structures in Fig. 1 and D. Josey for helping with the manuscript editing. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council (grant no. CE200100015 to F.F., F.B. and C.B. and the Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellowship no. FL180100139 to C.B.).

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  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

    Francois Barbier & Christine Beveridge

  2. ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

    Francois Barbier & Christine Beveridge

  3. Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Franziska Fichtner

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Correspondence to Francois Barbier.

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Barbier, F., Fichtner, F. & Beveridge, C. The strigolactone pathway plays a crucial role in integrating metabolic and nutritional signals in plants. Nat. Plants 9, 1191–1200 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-023-01453-6

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