Parasitic Plants-Potential Vectors of Phytopathogens.

Parasitic plants represent a peculiar group of semi- or fully heterotrophic plants, possessing the ability to extract water, minerals, and organic compounds from other plants. All parasitic plants, either root or stem, hemi- or holoparasitic, establish a vascular connection with their host plants through a highly specialized organ called haustoria. Apart from being the organ responsible for nutrient extraction, the haustorial connection is also a highway for various macromolecules, including DNA, proteins, and, apparently, phytopathogens.

Host Resistance to Parasitic Plants-Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives.

Parasitic flowering plants represent a diverse group of angiosperms, ranging from exotic species with limited distribution to prominent weeds, causing significant yield losses in agricultural crops. The major damage caused by them is related to the extraction of water and nutrients from the host, thus decreasing vegetative growth, flowering, and seed production. Members of the root parasites of the Orobanchaceae family and stem parasites of the genus are among the most aggressive and damaging weeds, affecting both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous crops worldwide.

Genomic and Epigenomic Mechanisms of the Interaction between Parasitic and Host Plants.

Parasitic plants extract nutrients from the other plants to finish their life cycle and reproduce. The control of parasitic weeds is notoriously difficult due to their tight physical association and their close biological relationship to their hosts. Parasitic plants differ in their susceptible host ranges, and the host species differ in their susceptibility to parasitic plants.

Parasitism-Induced Changes in the Proteome and Photosynthetic Parameters of .

is a widely distributed stem parasitic plant, infecting a variety of host plants. Its parasitism has a negative effect on the hosts, mainly due to the exhaustion of nutrients, thus negatively affecting the growth and development. However, recent studies indicated that the effect of parasitism may extend beyond the simple extraction of organic compounds, water, and minerals.

Plant Parasites under Pressure: Effects of Abiotic Stress on the Interactions between Parasitic Plants and Their Hosts.

Parasitic angiosperms, comprising a diverse group of flowering plants, are partially or fully dependent on their hosts to acquire water, mineral nutrients and organic compounds. Some have detrimental effects on agriculturally important crop plants. They are also intriguing model systems to study adaptive mechanisms required for the transition from an autotrophic to a heterotrophic metabolism.