β-Glucosidases as detonators of plant chemical defense
2008
Morant, A.V. | Jørgensen, K. | Jørgensen, C. | Paquette, S.M. | Sánchez-Pérez, R. | Møller, B.L. | Bak, S.
Some plant secondary metabolites are classified as phytoanticipins. When plant tissue in which they are present is disrupted, the phytoanticipins are bio-activated by the action of β-glucosidases. These binary systems - two sets of components that when separated are relatively inert - provide plants with an immediate chemical defense against protruding herbivores and pathogens. This review provides an update on our knowledge of the β-glucosidases involved in activation of the four major classes of phytoanticipins: cyanogenic glucosides, benzoxazinoid glucosides, avenacosides and glucosinolates. New aspects of the role of specific proteins that either control oligomerization of the β-glucosidases or modulate their product specificity are discussed in an evolutionary perspective.
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