Butenolide

Butenolides are a class of lactones with a four-carbon heterocyclic ring structure. They are sometimes considered oxidized derivatives of furan. The simplest butenolide is 2-furanone. Butenolide derivatives known as karrikins are produced by some plants on exposure to high temperatures due to brush fires. trigger seed germination in plants whose reproduction is fire-dependent. Among Butenolide derivatives, Strigolactones (SL) are a group of carotenoid-derived plant hormones or phytohormones produced by a plant's roots. SLs play a role in the regulation of several aspects of plant growth and development and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. When released by roots, SLs also enhance the growth and metabolism of beneficial symbiotic fungi favoring the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis