Secondary metabolite signalling in host-parasitic plant interactions.

The parasitic weeds Orobanche and Striga spp. are a serious threat to agriculture in large parts of the world. The lifecycle of the parasitic weeds is closely regulated by the presence of their hosts, and secondary metabolites that are produced by host plants play an important role in this interaction. Model plants, such as Arabidopsis and maize mutant collections, have been increasingly used to study these chemical signals, especially those host-produced stimulants that induce the germination of parasite seeds.