Apocarotenoid signals in plant development and beyond

Apocarotenoid signals in plant development and beyondCarotenoids are much more than the familiar yellow-tored pigments that we find in fruits and flowers.Arguably it is the products of carotenoid breakdown-the apocarotenoids-that are most diverse in terms of chemical structure and biological function.The hydrocarbon backbone presents a wide variety of positions for oxidative cleavage and chemical modification to produce compounds that serve as hormones, volatile aromas, and intracellular secondary messengers.In this Special Issue, we present a collection of articles that discuss the production, diversity, and function of apocarotenoids and related compounds, particularly as plant growth regulators and as rhizospheric signalling molecules.