Arjama Roy, Amity University Kolkata
Strigolactones are plant hormones that stimulate branching in plants. They trigger the germination of parasitic plant seed. Root parasites are threat to agricultural production. Recent work reveals that the utilization of strigolactones could be expected to produce an effective and efficient method for root parasites regulation as a suicidal germination inducer.
Study reveals that debranones⸺ phenoxy furanone type strigolactones imitators can point out the potent bioactivities including reduction of the tiller number of rice and stimulation of seed germination within the root parasite Striga hermonthica. To exert the activities, two substituents on the phenyl ring of the molecules were important. Among these two substituents, one should be present at the 2-position must be an electron-withdrawing group. Furthermore, the activity of halogenated debranones in the induction of leaf senescence were assessed and was found that they were simpler and more effective than others. The strigolactones supporter GR24 for inhibiting rice tiller is less effective in the induction of Striga hermonthica germination.
The study also depicts that nitrile and methyl derivatives stimulated germination of Striga hermonthica seed. Although their IC50 values is higher than GR24 within the receptor competitive binding assay, their physiological activities are 1/10 of GR24. These differences may well be because of their uptake in plants and/or their Physico-chemical stability under our experimental conditions. These findings could support the look of tougher and selective SL agonists that might contribute to solving big agricultural issues.
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Source: Takahashi, I., Fukui, K. & Asami, T. On improving strigolactone mimics for induction of suicidal germination of the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica. aBIOTECH (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42994-020-00031-0
Consequences of plant root structure with respect to potassium nutrition under water stress
Devyani Goswami, Amity University Kolkata Potassium (K) is the most abundant cellular cation, required in large amounts by plants. It serves as a regulatory role of osmotic potential in cells. K fertilization is used in alleviating the negative effects of water stress in many crops. High K level increases the root diameter and dry matter. […]