Germination Stimulant Activity of Isothiocyanates on spp.

The root parasitic weed broomrapes, spp., cause severe damage to agriculture all over the world. They have a special host-dependent lifecycle and their seeds can germinate only when they receive chemical signals released from host roots. Our previous study demonstrated that 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate is an active germination stimulant for in root exudates of oilseed rape. In the present study, 21 commercially available ITCs were examined for seed germination stimulation, and some important structural features of ITCs for exhibiting seed germination stimulation have been uncovered. Structural optimization of ITC for germination stimulation resulted in ITCs that are highly active to . Interestingly, these ITCs induced germination of but not or . seeds collected from mature plants parasitizing different hosts responded to these ITCs with different levels of sensitivity. ITCs have the potential to be used as inducers of suicidal germination of seeds.