Extraction and Measurement of Strigolactones in Sorghum Roots

Abstract

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived signaling chemicals containing two lactone moieties in their structures and induce seed germination of root parasitic plants, Striga and Orobanche spp. In the rhizosphere, SLs are essential host recognition signals not only for root parasitic plants but also for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In plants, SLs play important roles as plant hormones regulating shoot and root architecture. Plants produce only trace amounts of chemically unstable SLs, which makes it difficult to determine SL contents in plant tissues. Here, we describe how to extract and quantify sorgomol and 5-deoxystrigol, major SLs produced in sorghum roots.