Disarming the mustard oil bomb

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Aug 20;99(17):11223-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.172112899. Epub 2002 Aug 2.

Abstract

Plants are attacked by a broad array of herbivores and pathogens. In response, plants deploy an arsenal of defensive traits. In Brassicaceae, the glucosinolate-myrosinase complex is a sophisticated two-component system to ward off opponents. However, this so-called "mustard oil bomb" is disarmed by a glucosinolate sulfatase of a crucifer specialist insect, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Sulfatase activity of this enzyme largely prevents the formation of toxic hydrolysis products arising from this plant defense system. Importantly, the enzyme acts on all major classes of glucosinolates, thus enabling diamondback moths to use a broad range of cruciferous host plants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Evolution
  • Exons
  • Glucosinolates / metabolism
  • Inactivation, Metabolic
  • Introns
  • Larva
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Moths / metabolism*
  • Mustard Plant
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacokinetics*
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Oils
  • Pupa
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spodoptera / metabolism
  • Spodoptera / physiology
  • Sulfatases / metabolism

Substances

  • Glucosinolates
  • Plant Extracts
  • Plant Oils
  • Sulfatases
  • mustard oil

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AJ410304
  • GENBANK/AJ410305
  • GENBANK/AJ410306
  • GENBANK/AJ489521
  • GENBANK/AJ489522