Abstract
Phytohormones play central roles in boosting plant tolerance to environmental stresses, which negatively affect plant productivity and threaten future food security. Strigolactones (SLs), a class of carotenoid‐derived phytohormones, were initially discovered as an “ecological signal” for parasitic seed germination and establishment of symbiotic relationship between plants and beneficial microbes. Subsequent characterizations have described their functional roles in various developmental processes, including root development, shoot branching, reproductive development, and leaf senescence. SLs have recently drawn much attention due to their essential roles in the regulation of various physiological and molecular processes during the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses. Reports suggest that the production of SLs in plants is strictly regulated and dependent on the type of stresses that plants confront at various stages of development. Recently, evidence for crosstalk between SLs and other phytohormones, such as abscisic acid, in responses to abiotic stresses suggests that SLs actively participate within regulatory networks of plant stress adaptation that are governed by phytohormones. Moreover, the prospective roles of SLs in the management of plant growth and development under adverse environmental conditions have been suggested. In this review, we provide a comprehensive discussion pertaining to SL‐mediated plant responses and adaptation to abiotic stresses.
Strigolactones are known to function in diverse developmental processes of plant growth and development. Recently, research focused on the involvement of strigolactones in relation to plant responses to environmental stresses has gained momentum and revealed various regulatory roles in plant defense responses, particularly under abiotic stress conditions. In coordination with other phytohormones, compelling evidence suggests that strigolactones play significant roles in enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. Moreover, practical applications of synthetic strigolactones hold a great potential in the improvement of crop resilience against abiotic stresses. In this review, we aim to provide comprehensive coverage of findings related to the involvement of strigolactones in plant responses to abiotic stresses.