The Phtheirospermum japonicum isopentenyltransferase PjIPT1a regulates host cytokinin responses in Arabidopsis

What is it about?

Parasitic plants extract nutrients and water from other plants. The genetic adaptations that enable parasitism are not well understood. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the gene PjIPT1a in the parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum. PjIPT1a encodes for an atypical cytokinin biosynthesis gene that accumulated in cells of the parasite located next to host tissue. Phtheirospermum japonicum produces the plant hormone cytokinin to trigger responses in the infected host root. Targeted disruption of the PjIPT1a gene led to the loss of parasite-induced cytokinin responses in the host. PjIPT1a and related genes in other parasitic plants evolved from a non-parasitic ancestral gene. Other genes in parasitic plants with shared characteristics may be used to study parasitism in the future and develop safe control strategies against parasitic weeds.

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