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PHYTOALEXINS: What Have We Learned After 60 Years?
1Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824;
Annual Review of Phytopathology
|November 10, 2001
Summary
Plants produce antimicrobial phytoalexins to defend against pathogens. This review covers evidence supporting their role in disease resistance and recent advances in their biosynthesis.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Plant biochemistry
- Chemical ecology
Background:
- Phytoalexins are antimicrobial compounds induced in plants upon infection.
- The phytoalexin hypothesis, proposed in 1940, suggests their role in plant defense.
- Decades of research have provided experimental evidence for phytoalexin function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence supporting the role of phytoalexins in plant disease resistance.
- To discuss recent advances in understanding phytoalexin biosynthesis.
- To outline criteria for evaluating phytoalexins' contribution to resistance.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on phytoalexins and plant defense.
- Analysis of studies correlating phytoalexin levels with pathogen development.
- Examination of research on phytoalexin tolerance in pathogens.
Main Results:
- Phytoalexins accumulate in response to infection, correlating with pathogen growth cessation.
- Quantification at infection sites and pathogen virulence studies support their defensive role.
- Recent research has elucidated novel pathways in phytoalexin biosynthesis.
Conclusions:
- Phytoalexins are a crucial component of plant innate immunity.
- Understanding phytoalexin biosynthesis and function is key to developing disease-resistant crops.
- Established criteria aid in evaluating the significance of phytoalexins in specific plant-pathogen interactions.