Cellular events of strigolactone signalling and their crosstalk with auxin in roots

Strigolactones are a new group of plant hormones that suppress shoot branching. In roots, they regulate primary-root growth and lateral-root formation and increase root-hair elongation. Reception of strigolactones occurs via a specific cellular system which includes a D14-like/MAX2-like/SCF complex that, upon perception of strigolactone signalling, leads to certain degradation of receptors and to the release of downstream targets. This signalling pathway may eventually result in changes in actin-filament bundling, cellular trafficking, and PIN localization in the plasma membrane. As a result, auxin flux may be regulated in the shoot or root. Strigolactones are also involved with the response to phosphate conditions in roots, acting by both dampening auxin transport via depletion of PIN2 from the plasma membrane and inducing TIR1 transcription to increase auxin perception. In these instances and, possibly, others, strigolactones manipulate the auxin pathway, affecting its transport, perception or both. However, other mechanisms for strigolactone-regulated plant development and the involvement of other plant hormones are evident.