(±)-Catechins inhibit prehaustorium formation in the parasitic weed Phelipanche ramosa and reduce tomato infestation.

Background: Phelipanche ramosa L. (Pomel) is a noxious parasitic weed in field and vegetable crops in Mediterranean countries. Control of this pest is complex and far from being achieved, and new environmentally-friendly strategies are being sought.

Pectin Remodeling and Involvement of AtPME3 in the Parasitic Plant-Plant Interaction, -.

is a root parasitic plant fully dependent on host plants for nutrition and development. Upon germination, the parasitic seedling develops inside the infected roots a specific organ, the haustorium, thanks to the cell wall-degrading enzymes of haustorial intrusive cells, and induces modifications in the host's cell walls. The model plant is susceptible to ; thus, mutants in cell wall metabolism, particularly those involved in pectin remodeling, like , are of interest in studying the involvement of cell wall-degrading enzymes in the establishment of plant-plant interactions.

New Insights into Phloem Unloading and Expression of Sucrose Transporters in Vegetative Sinks of the Parasitic Plant . (Pomel).

The plant-parasitic plant interaction is a interesting model to study sink-source relationship and phloem unloading. The parasitic plants, such as the achlorophyllous plant , connect to the host phloem through the haustorium and act as supernumerary sinks for the host-derived photoassimilates, primarily sucrose. The application of the fluorescent symplastic tracer, carboxyfluorescein (CF) derived from carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA), to the leaves of the host plant () showed direct phloem connections at the host-parasite interface.

Seed response to strigolactone is controlled by abscisic acid-independent DNA methylation in the obligate root parasitic plant, Phelipanche ramosa L. Pomel.

Seed dormancy release of the obligate root parasitic plant, Phelipanche ramosa, requires a minimum 4-day conditioning period followed by stimulation by host-derived germination stimulants, such as strigolactones. Germination is then mediated by germination stimulant-dependent activation of PrCYP707A1, an abscisic acid catabolic gene. The molecular mechanisms occurring during the conditioning period that silence PrCYP707A1 expression and regulate germination stimulant response are almost unknown.

PrCYP707A1, an ABA catabolic gene, is a key component of Phelipanche ramosa seed germination in response to the strigolactone analogue GR24.

After a conditioning period, seed dormancy in obligate root parasitic plants is released by a chemical stimulus secreted by the roots of host plants. Using Phelipanche ramosa as the model, experiments conducted in this study showed that seeds require a conditioning period of at least 4 d to be receptive to the synthetic germination stimulant GR24. A cDNA-AFLP procedure on seeds revealed 58 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) whose expression pattern changed upon GR24 treatment.

Role of the sucrose synthase encoding PrSus1 gene in the development of the parasitic plant Phelipanche ramosa L. (Pomel).

Phelipanche ramosa L. (Pomel) is a major root-parasitic weed attacking many important crops. Success in controlling this parasite is rare and a better understanding of its unique biology is needed to develop new specific control strategies.

Invertases involved in the development of the parasitic plant Phelipanche ramosa: characterization of the dominant soluble acid isoform, PrSAI1.

Phelipanche ramosa L. parasitizes major crops, acting as a competitive sink for host photoassimilates, especially sucrose. An understanding of the mechanisms of sucrose utilization in parasites is an important step in the development of new control methods.

Isolation of mannose 6-phosphate reductase cDNA, changes in enzyme activity and mannitol content in broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) parasitic on tomato roots.

We are interested in developing a control strategy efficient at the early stages of subterranean development of Orobanche in the inhibition of mannose 6-phosphate reductase (M6PR, EC 1.1.1.