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Phenylphenalenones protect banana plants from infection by Mycosphaerella fijiensis and are deactivated by metabolic conversion
Author(s) -
Hidalgo William,
Chandran Jima N.,
Menezes Riya C.,
Otálvaro Felipe,
Schneider Bernd
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12630
Subject(s) - mycosphaerella , fungus , botany , biology , musaceae , metabolomics , plant disease resistance , plant disease , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene , bioinformatics
Phenylphenalenones, polycyclic aromatic natural products from some monocotyledonous plants, are known as phytoalexins in banana ( Musa spp.). In this study, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)‐based metabolomics along with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to explore the chemical responses of the susceptible ‘Williams’ and the resistant ‘Khai Thong Ruang’ Musa varieties to the ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis , the agent of the black leaf Sigatoka disease. Principal component analysis discriminated strongly between infected and non‐infected plant tissue, mainly because of specialized metabolism induced in response to the fungus. Phenylphenalenones are among the major induced compounds, and the resistance level of the plants was correlated with the progress of the disease. However, a virulent strain of M. fijiensis was able to overcome plant resistance by converting phenylphenalenones to sulfate conjugates. Here, we report the first metabolic detoxification of fungitoxic phenylphenalenones to evade the chemical defence of Musa plants.