The evolution of parasitism in plants

James H. Westwood, John I. Yoder, Michael P. Timko, Claude W. dePamphilis

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

393 Scopus citations

Abstract

The multiple independent origins of plant parasitism suggest that numerous ancestral plant lineages possessed the developmental flexibility to meet the requirements of a parasitic life style, including such adaptations as the ability to recognize host plants, form an invasive haustorium, and regulate the transfer of nutrients and other molecules between two different plants. In this review, we focus on the Orobanchaceae, which are unique among the parasitic plants in that extant member species include the full range of host dependence from facultative to obligate parasites. The recent emergence of genomic resources for these plants should provide new insights into parasitic plant evolution and enable the development of novel genetic strategies for controlling parasitic weeds.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)227-235
Number of pages9
JournalTrends in Plant Science
Volume15
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Plant Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The evolution of parasitism in plants'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this