Controlled hydroxylations of diterpenoids allow for plant chemical defense without autotoxicity

第一作者：Jiancai Li

第一单位：马克斯普朗克化学生态学研究所

通讯作者：Ian T. Baldwin

 Abstract 

背景回顾：Many plant specialized metabolites function in herbivore defense, and abrogating particular steps in their biosynthetic pathways frequently causes autotoxicity.

提出问题：However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their defense and autotoxicity remain unclear.

主要发现：Here, we show that silencing two cytochrome P450s involved in diterpene biosynthesisin the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata causes severe autotoxicity symptoms that result from the inhibition of sphingolipid biosynthesis by noncontrolled hydroxylated diterpene derivatives.

结果：Moreover, the diterpenes’ defensive function is achieved by inhibiting herbivore sphingolipid biosynthesis through postingestive backbone hydroxylation products. Thus, by regulating metabolic modifications, tobacco plants avoid autotoxicity and gain herbivore defense.

结论：The postdigestive duet that occurs between plants and their insect herbivores can reflect the plant’s solutions to the “toxic waste dump” problem of using potent chemical defenses.

 摘 要 

doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe4713

Journal: Science

Published date: Jan 15, 2021