title: Biotic and heavy metal stress response in plants: evidence for common signals.
abstract: In higher plants, biotic stress (e.g., herbivore or pathogen attack) as well as abiotic stress (in particular heavy metals) often induce the synthesis and accumulation of the same defense-related secondary metabolites. This well-known finding still awaits an explanation regarding the common features of both stress types. In this study, a mechanism is proposed that links reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation with lipid oxidation processes, ultimately resulting in the formation of similar, highly active signalling compounds. The generation of ROS is a common event in both heavy metal treatment and biotic stress although it can depend on quite different, enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Regardless, ROS are involved in the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids which initiate the formation of oxylipins, a highly variable class of lipid-derived compounds in plants. Oxylipins represent new endogenous signals involved in biotic- and abiotic-induced stress responses.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Okologie, Bioorganische Chemie, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany. amithoefer@ice.mpg.de
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mithöfer
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008084:Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D027805:Phaseolus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008084:Lipoxygenase; D019255:NADPH Oxidases