Abstract
Strigolactones are a group of small molecules that play critical roles in plant developmental processes and root biotic interactions. Strigolactones are agronomically important due to their role as a signal for the germination of a parasitic weed ( Striga spp.) that reduces yields of cereal crops worldwide. To identify the genes encoding strigolactones in sorghum and their function, we characterized two CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockouts of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 8 ( CCD8) genes ( SbCCD8a and SbCCD8b), which have been shown in other plant species to be involved in strigolactone biosynthesis. Although strigolactones are important for the parasitization of sorghum in Africa, the functions of members of the CCD8 family have not been characterized. The impact of the knockouts on strigolactone production, plant growth and development, resistance to the parasitic weed Striga, and the root-associated microbiomes were investigated in this study. The results revealed that knockout of SbCCD8 genes in sorghum significantly reduced orobanchol production and Striga germination. Strigolactone deficiency altered the shoot and root architecture and reduced grain yield of sorghum. The knockout of the SbCCD8b gene significantly affected the rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community composition at sorghum plant grain-fill stage due to the abolition of orobanchol exudation from roots. Reduced amounts of orobanchol in root exudates also influenced root-associated fungal taxa abundance. Our findings provide new insights into potentially sustainable approaches for the recruitment of beneficial microbes and for parasitic weed control through manipulation of strigolactone production in sorghum.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
SbCCD8 knockout reduced sorghum orobanchol production.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“knockout of SbCCD8 genes in sorghum significantly reduced orobanchol production and Striga germination”
Claim · model-written summary
SbCCD8 knockout reduced Striga germination.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.


Verbatim
e0“knockout of SbCCD8 genes in sorghum significantly reduced orobanchol production and Striga germination”
Claim · model-written summary
Strigolactone deficiency altered sorghum shoot and root architecture.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Strigolactone deficiency altered the shoot and root architecture and reduced grain yield of sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Strigolactone deficiency reduced sorghum grain yield.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Strigolactone deficiency altered the shoot and root architecture and reduced grain yield of sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
SbCCD8b knockout affected rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community composition at grain fill.
- Organ / stage
- grain-fill stagee0
- Treatment
- knockout of the SbCCD8b genee0
- Interactor
- rhizosphere bacteriale0symbiont
- Gene
- SbCCD8be0
- Outcome
- rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community compositione0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“knockout of the SbCCD8b gene significantly affected the rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community composition at sorghum plant grain-fill stage due to the abolition of orobanchol exudation from roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced orobanchol in root exudates influenced root-associated fungal abundance.
- Interactor
- root-associated fungal taxae0symbiont
- Compound
- orobanchole0
- Outcome
- root-associated fungal taxa abundancee0
- Direction
- influencede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Reduced amounts of orobanchol in root exudates also influenced root-associated fungal taxa abundance”
Claim · model-written summary
Abolition of orobanchol exudation was attributed as the cause of the bacterial community change.
- Interactor
- rhizosphere bacteriale0symbiont
- Compound
- orobanchole0
- Outcome
- rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community compositione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community composition at sorghum plant grain-fill stage due to the abolition of orobanchol exudation from roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Manipulating strigolactone production may support beneficial microbe recruitment and parasitic weed control.
- Treatment
- manipulation of strigolactone productione0
- Outcome
- recruitment of beneficial microbes and for parasitic weed controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“potentially sustainable approaches for the recruitment of beneficial microbes and for parasitic weed control through manipulation of strigolactone production in sorghum”
The same questions in other papers
class · yield · SorghumPositive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
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