Plant Apocarotenoids: Metabolism and Applications

Abstract

Oxidative cleavage of carotenoids is a common metabolic process that gives rise to apocarotenoids that encompasses plant hormones and a series of other regulatory metabolites. In the last years, my group has been investigating the genesis and functions of apocarotenoids, focusing on the plant hormones strigolactones and abscisic acid, the discovery of novel regulatory metabolites, and on translating obtained knowledge into chemistry-based and genetic engineering approaches for solving pressing agricultural problems. In may talk, I will summarize our results on strigolactone metabolism, which revealed particular functions of different strigolactone types, and depict a by-pass route in abscisic acid formation. Moreover, I will present the identification of the growth regulator and hormone-candidate zaxinone, its role in plant’s growth and nutrient uptake, and its potential for increasing crop performance. Finally, I will describe the recent progress in our hormone-based project on combating the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, of the major threats to global food security, which depends on host-released strigolactones for seed germination.