Smoke-derived karrikins reveal a new pathway for plant development

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This project aims to investigate a recently discovered signalling system in plants that requires an unknown hormone to regulate seed germination and seedling growth. Burning vegetation produces karrikins that promote seed germination by signalling through a recently identified plant protein. Plants do not make karrikins and impairments to this protein results in increased seed dormancy and abnormal leaf growth, suggesting karrikins mimic an unknown plant hormone that regulates these aspects of plant development. The project aims to identify this phytohormone and elucidate its biosynthetic pathway. The identification of this new plant growth regulator would be a major advance for plant science and may create new opportunities in restoration ecology, weed control and food production.