A KAUST Plant Science Research Group Led by Professor Ikram Blilou

Article

Dec 1, 2023

A roadmap of haustorium morphogenesis in parasitic plants

Journal of Experimental Botany

Authors:

Gwendolyn K Kirschner, Ting Ting Xiao, Muhammad Jamil, Salim Al-Babili, Vinicius Lube, Ikram Blilou

Abstract

Parasitic plants invade their host through their invasive organ, the haustorium. This organ connects to the vasculature of the host roots and hijacks water and nutrients. Although parasitism has evolved independently in plants, haustoria formation follows a similar mechanism throughout different plant species, highlighting the developmental plasticity of plant tissues. Here, we compare three types of haustoria formed by the root and shoot in the plant parasites Striga and Cuscuta. We discuss mechanisms underlying the interactions with their hosts and how different approaches have contributed to major understanding of haustoria formation and host invasion. We also illustrate the role of auxin and cytokinin in controlling this process.

Bibliography

Gwendolyn K Kirschner, Ting Ting Xiao, Muhammad Jamil, Salim Al-Babili, Vinicius Lube, Ikram Blilou, A roadmap of haustorium morphogenesis in parasitic plants, Journal of Experimental Botany, Volume 74, Issue 22, 1 December 2023, Pages 7034–7044, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erad284

A KAUST Plant Science Research

Group Led by Professor Ikram Blilou