Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores02:26

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores

28.6K
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
28.6K
Cell Signaling in Plants01:25

Cell Signaling in Plants

5.9K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
5.9K
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

27.1K
Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
27.1K
Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses02:45

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

40.3K
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
40.3K
C4 Pathway and CAM01:27

C4 Pathway and CAM

47.5K
Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
47.5K
Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata02:04

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

29.8K
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.
29.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microbial regulation in gorgonian corals.

Marine drugs·2012
Same author

Arsenic complexes in the arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern).

Journal of chromatography. A·2004
Same author

Thiol synthesis and arsenic hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern).

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2004
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem
11:50

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem

Published on: October 1, 2015

22.3K

Light-activated plant defence.

Kelsey R Downum1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA and Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL 33156, USA.

The New Phytologist
|April 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plants use sunlight to defend themselves with phototoxins, molecules that become toxic when exposed to light. These compounds protect plants against a wide range of harmful organisms and represent a successful defense strategy across diverse plant species.

Keywords:
Phototoxic phytochemicalslight-activated plant defencephotosensitizersphototoxins

More Related Videos

Real-time In Vivo Recording of Arabidopsis Calcium Signals During Insect Feeding Using a Fluorescent Biosensor
08:21

Real-time In Vivo Recording of Arabidopsis Calcium Signals During Insect Feeding Using a Fluorescent Biosensor

Published on: August 15, 2017

13.1K
Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes
10:07

Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes

Published on: February 22, 2014

24.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem
11:50

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem

Published on: October 1, 2015

22.3K
Real-time In Vivo Recording of Arabidopsis Calcium Signals During Insect Feeding Using a Fluorescent Biosensor
08:21

Real-time In Vivo Recording of Arabidopsis Calcium Signals During Insect Feeding Using a Fluorescent Biosensor

Published on: August 15, 2017

13.1K
Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes
10:07

Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes

Published on: February 22, 2014

24.3K

Area of Science:

  • Plant biochemistry and defense mechanisms
  • Phytochemistry and allelochemicals
  • Plant toxicology and biocides

Background:

  • Sunlight is crucial for plant life, supporting growth and development.
  • While photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis are well-understood light roles, plant defense is a newer area of study.
  • Higher plants produce 75-100 photosensitizers (phototoxins) that are toxic in the presence of light.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the phytochemistry of phototoxic metabolites in flowering plants.
  • To examine the taxonomic distribution of these phototoxins.
  • To discuss the toxicological effects and defensive role of phototoxic compounds.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on plant phototoxins.
  • Analysis of phytochemical classes and biosynthetic origins.
  • Examination of reported occurrences in angiosperm families.
  • Assessment of toxicological data and biological activity.

Main Results:

  • Phototoxins belong to at least 15 phytochemical classes with diverse origins.
  • Phototoxic activity is found in approximately 40 out of 100+ assayed angiosperm families.
  • These allelochemicals act as broad-spectrum biocides against viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, and competing plants.

Conclusions:

  • Phototoxic phytochemicals are broad-spectrum allelochemicals that protect plants from various detrimental organisms.
  • This defense strategy is effective in both primitive and advanced plant taxa.
  • Plant phototoxins offer a viable defense mechanism under diverse photoenvironmental conditions.