Leaf shedding is a very common trait among plant species inhabiting dry ecosystems. However, mistletoes typically retain their leaves year-round, as they rely on leaf transpiration to pull resources from the host’s vascular system. Only a few species with a deciduous habit have been described—four species in the Loranthaceae family and all eight species of […]
Strigolactones are germination stimulants of many of the Orobanchaceae parasitic plants. Strigolactones biosynthetically derive from the carotenoids, which defines them to belong to the chemical class of the isoprenoids. In a brand new review, entitled “The role of isoprenoids in the chemical interaction between plants and other organisms in their rhizosphere”, we discuss the role […]
The IPPS July Seminar will feature two talks on broomrapes:: Prof. Bing Wang from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences will talk about: “Manipulation of a strigolactone transporter in tomato confers resistance to the parasitic weed broomrape” and Prof. Tao Chen from the Hangzhou Normal […]
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) aims to end poverty by ensuring that everyone’s basic needs are met for healthy and happy life. Farming can help lift entire communities out of poverty because it provides farmers with enough food to eat and sell to others. Science helps address important challenges to farming, […]
We sequenced the genomes of three Orobanche species with different host ranges: O. minor (generalist), O. gracilis (Fabaceae-specific), and O. hederae (ivy-specific with some flexibility within Araliaceae). O. gracilis showed expanded protein-degrading and carbohydrate-active enzyme families, while putative strigolactone receptor (KAI2d) numbers varied from five in specialists to eleven in the generalist O. minor. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcaf047 […]
A recent study highlights the surprising role of a native Chilean mistletoe, Tristerix corymbosus, in combating invasive tree species in urban environments. This parasitic plant, known for its vibrant red flowers, typically infests native trees but has shifted to fast-growing non-native hosts, such as Populus and Acacia species. We found that T. corymbosus thrives on these invaders, growing larger and more abundant […]
Jiayang Shi et al., 2025. Resistance to Striga parasitism through reduction of strigolactone exudation. Cell, 2025, ISSN 0092-8674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.022 Xinwei Ban et al., 2025. Manipulation of a strigolactone transporter in tomato confers resistance to the parasitic weed broomrape. The Innovation, 2025, 100815, ISSN 2666-6758, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100815. At about the same time these two papers show once […]
Last recorded in 1938 near Rupa in the Aka Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, Sapria himalayana has remained one of the most elusive members of the Rafflesiaceae family. Sapria himalayana, the cousin of the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia, was first discovered in the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh by British botanist William Griffith in 1836. Despite its […]
The IPPS June Seminar will feature two talks on Striga: Prof. Jessy Lasky from the Pennsylvania State University will talk about: “Genetics, physiology, and evolution of sorghum resistance and striga host adaptation” and Prof. Yu Feifei from the China Agricultural University will talk about: “Resistance to Striga parasitism through reduction of strigolactone exudation” Date: Wednesday, […]
Branched broomrape (Phelipanche ramosa (L.) Pomel), an obligate parasitic weed with a wide host range, is known for its devasting effects on many crops worldwide. Soil fungi, notably Fusarium sp., are described as pathogenic to broomrape, while the hypothesis of the phytotoxicity of fusaric acid produced by F. verticillioides for parasitic weeds of the genus Orobanche has been proposed. Using image analysis […]