| pubmed-article:19235134 | pubmed:abstractText | In addition to their roles in eukaryotic defense and development, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have recently been identified as critical for host attachment by the parasitic angiosperms. In a process known as semagenesis, ROS generated at the root tip of Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze (Scrophulariaceae) function together with host peroxidases to oxidize monolignols at the host root surface. As a result, para-benzoquinone products accumulate as both necessary and sufficient components for inducing development of the host attachment organ, the haustorium. This event constitutes the critical vegetative/pathogenic transition in the parasite. | lld:pubmed |
