Strigolactone perception in the parasitic plant Striga asiatica

Body of Abstract: Striga asiatica is a parasitic plant that poses a serious threat to agriculture and relies on host-derived strigolactones (SLs) for germination. Characterizing SL receptors in S. asiatica could lead to novel pest control strategies. We found that most receptors prefer certain SLs or types of SLs. We identified a crucial residue that determines SL-type preference, and we provide the crystal structure of an SL receptor that differs from the standard lid-domain fold. Our findings suggest that S. asiatica has evolved a mechanism to discriminate between different SLs, including a distinct protein fold for narrow ligand perception.