Journal of Plant Growth Regulation

, Volume 29, Issue 2, pp 129–136 | Cite as

Strigolactones’ Effect on Root Growth and Root-Hair Elongation May Be Mediated by Auxin-Efflux Carriers

  • Hinanit Koltai
  • Evgenia Dor
  • Joseph Hershenhorn
  • Daniel M. Joel
  • Smadar Weininger
  • Sivarama Lekalla
  • Hagit Shealtiel
  • Chaitali Bhattacharya
  • Einat Eliahu
  • Nathalie Resnick
  • Rivka Barg
  • Yoram Kapulnik
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Strigolactones are a new group of plant hormones that play a pivotal role in the regulation of aboveground plant architecture. However, the mechanisms governing their regulation of plant growth and development are unknown. We characterized the effect of a synthetic strigolactone (GR24) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) roots and present evidence for its relationship with the plant hormone auxin. We demonstrate that strigolactones interfere with the inhibitory effect of exogenously applied auxin on root elongation. This GR24-induced root elongation is conveyed via an increase in root cell length accompanied by a reduction in cell diameter, and it occurs despite strigolactone’s reduction of cell division (detected as reduction of CYCB1;1 transcript). In addition, high concentrations of strigolactone lead to asymmetric root growth and inhibition of root-hair elongation. Exogenous application of NAA or IAA was unable to restore symmetric root growth and root-hair elongation in the presence of strigolactone. However, application of NPA, an auxin-efflux inhibitor, did restore root-hair elongation in the presence of strigolactone. Similarly, exogenous application of 2,4-D, a synthetic auxin that is not secreted by efflux carriers, restored root-hair elongation and symmetric growth in the presence of strigolactone. Nevertheless, 2,4-D was unable to prevent root elongation by strigolactones. Therefore, strigolactones’ effect on root growth and root-hair elongation appears to be mediated via an effect on auxin-efflux carriers. Nevertheless, more than one mechanism may govern strigolactones’ effect on root growth.

Keywords

Strigolactone Auxin Root Cell elongation Symmetric growth Root hair 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank Yogev Rosianski, Doron Meir, Hadas Veroslavsky, and Bruria Ben-Dor for their technical help. We are grateful to Drs. Kaori and Koichi Yoneyama for supplying us with GR24. The research was funded by the Chief Scientist Foundation, Israeli Ministry of Agriculture.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hinanit Koltai
    • 1
  • Evgenia Dor
    • 2
  • Joseph Hershenhorn
    • 2
  • Daniel M. Joel
    • 2
  • Smadar Weininger
    • 1
  • Sivarama Lekalla
    • 1
  • Hagit Shealtiel
    • 1
  • Chaitali Bhattacharya
    • 1
  • Einat Eliahu
    • 1
  • Nathalie Resnick
    • 1
  • Rivka Barg
    • 1
  • Yoram Kapulnik
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), The Volcani CenterBet DaganIsrael
  2. 2.Department of Phytopathology and Weed ResearchNewe-Ya’ar Research CenterRamat-YishayIsrael

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