J Integr Plant Biol.

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Strigolactone‐mediated architecture regulation and stress resilience: Insights and innovations for crop breeding

Qingliang Hu1*, Jiayang Li1,2 and Bing Wang2,3*   

  1. 1. Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Sanya 572024, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    *Correspondences: Bing Wang (bingwang@genetics.ac.cn, Dr. Wang is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article); Qingliang Hu (huqingliang@yzwlab.cn)
  • Received:2026-03-29 Accepted:2026-05-19 Online:2026-06-21
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development of China (2024YFF1000600) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32525014, 32570371, 32388201).

Abstract: Strigolactones (SLs) were initially identified as rhizosphere signals that trigger germination of parasitic weeds and promote branching in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. More recently, SLs have been characterized as a class of carotenoid‐derived plant hormones that regulate plant architecture and stress responses. This review systematically summarizes their diverse functions in shaping shoot architecture and root development, as well as their ability to mediate acclimation to various abiotic and biotic stresses. It also discusses the canonical signaling module composed of D14, MAX2/D3, and D53/SMXLs and its extensive interactions with other hormonal pathways. Finally, this review suggests that future research should focus on elucidating the dynamic responses to environmental stress mediated by the SL pathway, decoding the functional diversification of SLs in different plant species, and leveraging SLs as rhizosphere signals to control parasitic weeds. Precise spatiotemporal modulation of SL activity is crucial for balancing its functional complexity and will contribute to designing crops with optimized plant architectures and enhanced stress resilience.

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