Fig. 3

Effect of zaxinone on rice SL biosynthesis and release. a, b SL, 4-deoxyorobanchol (4-DO), quantification in wild-type and zas mutant roots (a) and root exudates (b) in response to zaxinone (5 µM) under Pi starvation. c Striga seeds germination rate upon treatment with exudates analyzed in b. d qRT-PCR analysis of transcript levels of SL biosynthesis genes (D27, CCD7, CCD8, and CO) transcript levels in root tissues analyzed in a. Transcript levels in wild-type control samples were normalized to 1. e Effect of zaxinone (10 µM) on Striga infestation of 6-weeks old rice cv. IAC-165 plants in soil. Effect on rice and Striga growth (Left, picture). Number of emerging Striga plants (Right). Bars represent mean ± SD; a–d n = 3 biological replicates; e n = 5 biological replicates; statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s post hoc test. Different letters denote significant differences (P < 0.05). CTL control, Zax zaxinone