Phytoalexin

About: Phytoalexin is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1161 publications have been published within this topic receiving 63405 citations. The topic is also known as: phytoalexins.

Phytoalexins of woody plants

Abstract: Phytoalexins accumulated in selected woody plants in response to microbial attack or stress are reviewed and listed with respect to their chemical structure and probable biogenetic origin. The host-pathogen systems from which they have been isolated are described. The review also considers the antimicrobial activity of the phytoalexins to the causal pathogens and other microorganisms.

Resveratrol Inhibits Periodontal Pathogens In Vitro

Abstract: The gram-negative anaerobic bacteria A. actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and P. gingivalis (Pg) are key components in the aetiology of periodontal disease, and associated hard-tissue destruction. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, produced naturally by several plants when under attack by bacterial or fungal pathogens. It is found in many foods including mulberries, peanuts and the skin of labrusca and muscadine grapes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on the in vitro growth of periodontal pathogens Aa and Pg. For comparison, resveratrol's effect on a variety of other oral microorganisms was also evaluated. Resveratrol demonstrates a poor solubility in water, thus different concentrations of resveratrol in the solvent dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were added to calibrated suspensions of Aa and Pg. As a control, a parallel series of dilutions containing the vehicle DMSO alone was made to measure the effect of the solvent. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the periodontal pathogens were calculated. All suspensions were incubated for 1, 3, 6 and 24 h in an anaerobic chamber at 37 °C. At each time interval, selected dilutions from each culture broth were plated on blood agar plates. Colonies appearing on blood agar plates were visually counted at 3 days for Aa, and at 5 days for Pg. The periodontal bacteria showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in viable counts after 1 h, whilst no colony forming units could be observed after 24 h. The results suggest that resveratrol possesses significant antimicrobial properties on periodontal pathogens in vitro. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Elicitor induction of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases in cell suspension cultures of chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) and their involvement in pterocarpan phytoalexin biosynthesis

Abstract: A yeast glucan elicitor causes the accumulation of the pterocarpan phytoalexins medicarpin and maackiain in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cell suspension cultures established from seeds. A cell culture line from a chickpea cultivar resistant against its main fungal pathogen Ascochyta rabiei accumulates large amounts (944 nm ol/g fr. wt.) whereas a cell culture line from a susceptible cultivar accumulates only low amounts (38 nm ol/g fr. wt.) of the phytoalexins. This is consistent with differential accumulation of pterocarpan phytoalexins in intact plants [1], The first reactions in the pterocarpan-specific branch of biosynthesis are hydroxylation of the isoflavone intermediate form ononetin in position 2′ or 3′, catalyzed by microsomal cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases. Upon elicitation form ononetin 2′-hydroxylase undergoes a strong transient induction in the cell suspension culture of the resistant cultivar, whereas in the cell culture from the susceptible cultivar it is only slightly induced. In both cell suspension cul­tures the induction of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase and of form ononetin 3′-hydroxylase does not show a clear correlation with phytoalexin accumulation. Experiments with different elici­tor concentrations confirm that formononetin 2′-hydroxylase is much more induced in cell cul­tures from the resistant cultivar than from the susceptible one. It is concluded that the massive difference in phytoalexin accumulation between cell suspension cultures from the resistant and susceptible cultivar is determined mainly by the differential induction of form ononetin 2′-hydroxylase activity.

Induction of delta-cadinene synthase and sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins in cotton by Verticillium dahliae.

Abstract: Phytoalexin biosynthesis occurred earlier in the resistant cotton cultivar Seabrook Sea Island 12B2 (SBSI) (Gossypium barbadense) than in the susceptible cotton cultivar Rowden (G. hirsutum) after inoculation with a defoliating isolate of the pathogen Verticillium dahliae. This was demonstrated by significantly higher levels of phytoalexins in SBSI 12 h after inoculation. Furthermore, by 48 h after inoculation of SBSI, the phytoalexins hemigossypol and desoxyhemigossypol achieved levels (23.9 and 10.5 microgram/g of fresh tissue, respectively) sufficient to completely inhibit conidial germination. Rowden required 96 h to attain comparable levels. Similarly, the activity of delta-cadinene synthase, a key enzyme required for the biosynthesis of the terpenoid phytoalexins, increased more rapidly in the resistant cotton cultivar than in the susceptible one. The changes in phytoalexin concentrations and enzyme activity are consistent with the hypothesis that phytoalexins are an essential component in protecting the plant from infection by V. dahliae.