Recent developments in parasitic plant biology

Abstract

Parasitic plants are taxonomically diverse, globally distributed, and capable of parasitizing a wide array of host plants, often with preferences for specific hosts. Some parasitic plants are damaging pests of numerous crops; their effects can be especially detrimental in low-input agriculture. Effective breeding and management strategies rely on comprehensive information about the life history, evolution, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, communication, and ecology of parasitic plants and their hosts. High-throughput sequencing approaches are used to advance research in genome evolution, to identify genetic loci for breeding, to characterize microbial communities associated with parasitic plants, and to discover molecular mechanisms of parasitism and host responses. Molecular and biochemical investigations are elucidating the mechanisms by which parasitic seeds germinate in response to host phytohormones in the rhizosphere. Structural information guides synthesis- and screening-based methods to identify chemicals that could be used to promote or inhibit parasitic seed germination. Microbial communities in the rhizosphere influence parasitic plants and hosts as a system; fungal and bacterial species themselves, and products derived from them, have the potential for agronomic application. Proteins and nucleic acids exchanged through the haustorium reveal the complex interplay between parasitic plant pathogenesis and host defense responses. This review focuses on the latest developments published within the last two years.