Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. Signal., 20 March 2012
Vol. 5, Issue 216, p. ec86
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2003046]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Plant Biology Making Carlactone

Pamela J. Hines

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

Germination of parasitic witchweeds depends on strigolactones, which also regulate plant branching and signal in the context of mycorrhizal symbioses. The biosynthetic pathways that lead to strigolactones are founded in carotenoid biosynthesis, but further steps have been obscure. Alder et al. have now identified a biochemical pathway that generates a strigolactone-like compound, carlactone, which shows biological actions similar to those of strigolactone.

A. Alder, M. Jamil, M. Marzorati, M. Bruno, M. Vermathen, P. Bigler, S. Ghisla, H. Bouwmeester, P. Beyer, S. Al-Babili, The path from β-carotene to carlactone, a strigolactone-like plant hormone. Science 335, 1348–1351 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: P. J. Hines, Making Carlactone. Sci. Signal. 5, ec86 (2012).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882