Bioactivity: phenylpropanoids' best kept secret

Bartel Vanholme; Ilias El Houari; Wout Boerjan

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2018.11.012

Bioactivity: phenylpropanoids' best kept secret

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2019 Apr:56:156-162. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.11.012. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Authors

Bartel Vanholme¹, Ilias El Houari², Wout Boerjan²

Affiliations

¹ Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Gent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: bartel.vanholme@ugent.vib.be.
² Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Gent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Gent, Belgium.

PMID: 30530240
DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.11.012

Abstract

Plant growth and development are tightly regulated by compounds produced in trace amounts in the plant. Besides the classical phytohormones, many plant metabolites have been described to affect plant development. Among these are several phenylpropanoids, although conclusive evidence for their bioactivity at physiologically relevant concentrations is only available for cinnamic acid. By inhibition of auxin efflux transport, the cis-isoform of cinnamic acid alters auxin homeostasis, resulting in auxin-related growth effects. Despite insight into its mode of action, the molecular target of cis-cinnamic acid is not yet known, and it remains to be determined whether this or other phenylpropanoids have a role to play in regulating plant growth and development under normal or stress conditions.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Plant Development / drug effects
Plant Growth Regulators / pharmacology
Propanols / chemistry
Propanols / pharmacology*

Substances

Plant Growth Regulators
Propanols
1-phenylpropanol