Inhibition of shoot branching by new terpenoid plant hormones

Mikihisa Umehara, Atsushi Hanada, Satoko Yoshida, Kohki Akiyama, Tomotsugu Arite, Noriko Takeda-Kamiya, Hiroshi Magome, Yuji Kamiya, Ken Shirasu, Koichi Yoneyama, Junko Kyozuka and Shinjiro Yamaguchi ()
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Mikihisa Umehara: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Atsushi Hanada: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Satoko Yoshida: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Kohki Akiyama: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuencho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
Tomotsugu Arite: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8652, Japan
Noriko Takeda-Kamiya: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Hiroshi Magome: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Yuji Kamiya: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Ken Shirasu: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Koichi Yoneyama: Weed Science Center, Utsunomiya University
Junko Kyozuka: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8652, Japan
Shinjiro Yamaguchi: RIKEN Plant Science Center, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan

Nature, 2008, vol. 455, issue 7210, 195-200

Abstract: Abstract Shoot branching is a major determinant of plant architecture and is highly regulated by endogenous and environmental cues. Two classes of hormones, auxin and cytokinin, have long been known to have an important involvement in controlling shoot branching. Previous studies using a series of mutants with enhanced shoot branching suggested the existence of a third class of hormone(s) that is derived from carotenoids, but its chemical identity has been unknown. Here we show that levels of strigolactones, a group of terpenoid lactones, are significantly reduced in some of the branching mutants. Furthermore, application of strigolactones inhibits shoot branching in these mutants. Strigolactones were previously found in root exudates acting as communication chemicals with parasitic weeds and symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Thus, we propose that strigolactones act as a new hormone class—or their biosynthetic precursors—in regulating above-ground plant architecture, and also have a function in underground communication with other neighbouring organisms.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07272

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