Defensive weapons and defense signals in plants: Some metabolites serve both roles

Maag, Daniel; Erb, Matthias; Koellner, Tobias G.; Gershenzon, Jonathan (2015). Defensive weapons and defense signals in plants: Some metabolites serve both roles. BioEssays, 37(2), pp. 167-174. Wiley 10.1002/bies.201400124

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The defense of plants against herbivores and pathogens involves the participation of an enormous range of different metabolites, some of which act directly as defensive weapons against enemies (toxins or deterrents) and some of which act as components of the complex internal signaling network that insures that defense is timed to enemy attack. Recent work reveals a surprising trend: The same compounds may act as both weapons and signals of defense. For example, two groups of well-studied defensive weapons, glucosinolates and benzoxazinoids, trigger the accumulation of the protective polysaccharide callose as a barrier against aphids and pathogens. In the other direction, several hormones acting in defense signaling (and their precursors and products) exhibit activity as weapons against pathogens. Knowing which compounds are defensive weapons, which are defensive signals and which are both is vital for understanding the functioning of plant defense systems.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Review Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Biotic Interactions
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS)

UniBE Contributor:

Erb, Matthias

Subjects:

500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany)

ISSN:

0265-9247

Publisher:

Wiley

Language:

English

Submitter:

Peter Alfred von Ballmoos-Haas

Date Deposited:

03 Mar 2015 15:30

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:41

Publisher DOI:

10.1002/bies.201400124

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.64017

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/64017

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