Stereochemistry affects sesquiterpene lactone bioactivity against an herbivorous grasshopper
| Autor: | Kenneth D. Whitney, Jeffrey R. Ahern |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
chemistry.chemical_classification
biology Stereochemistry fungi Secondary metabolite Asteraceae biology.organism_classification Sesquiterpene Sesquiterpene lactone Biochemistry chemistry.chemical_compound chemistry Schistocerca americana Botany medicine Plant defense against herbivory Grasshopper Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Lactone medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Chemoecology. 24:35-39 |
| ISSN: | 1423-0445 0937-7409 |
| Popis: | Sesquiterpene lactones are defensive compounds which protect plants against a variety of herbivores and other natural enemies. Sesquiterpene lactones from higher plants can be divided into two groups based on the stereochemistry of their lactone ring junction, either cis-fused or trans-fused. It is unclear whether and how this variation affects potentially important ecological interactions. To investigate whether stereochemical variation in sesquiterpene lactone ring junctions can influence resistance to herbivorous insects, we performed controlled feeding trials with two pairs of diastereomeric sesquiterpene lactones and examined the deterrent effect of each compound on feeding by the polyphagous grasshopper Schistocerca americana (Drury). Sesquiterpene lactone stereochemistry and concentration significantly influenced feeding behavior with grasshoppers consuming less of the trans-fused compounds than the cis-fused compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that sesquiterpene lactone ring junction stereochemistry influences the feeding behavior of herbivores. Because this stereochemical trait polymorphism is widely distributed in nature, it could have substantial consequences for the ecology and evolution of large groups of plants, particularly the Asteraceae. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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