The role of hydrolysis in perceiving and degrading the plant hormone strigolactones

Strigolactones (SLs) perform versatile functions in plants. The different members of the α/β-hydrolase superfamily bind and hydrolyze SLs at varying rates to transduce their signal or maintain SL homeostasis. Recent work by Palayam et al. on SL-degrading carboxylesterases (CXEs) uncovers structural elements that determine the mechanism, efficiency of SL hydrolysis, and biological functions.