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The Transcendental World of Plant Toxic Compounds

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2024 | Viewed by 1057

Special Issue Editor

Area of Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, 33071 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: apomixis; biotechnology; gametophyte; micropropagation; Monilophytes; plant development; plant growth regulators; plant reproduction; proteomics; transcriptomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants produce an astounding assortment of small molecules to fight against insects, or other animals like mites or vertebrates, that try to eat them. These toxic molecules may disrupt the nervous system of animals or interfere with basic cellular and biochemical functions needed for life. These compounds can be proteins that make it harder for insects to get essential nutrients from the plant tissues they consume, or slow growth and development in the insect, reducing plant damage. Plant genomes usually have more genes than those of the animals that consume them, due to the high production of enzymes, used to produce complex chemical compounds with different functions, including defense. Plants must control how these compounds are built, stored and released. One well-studied group of these defensive plant proteins is protease inhibitors. When insects eat them, the inhibitors bind to proteases and inactivate them, condemning insects to experience nitrogen deficiencies. On the other hand, plant breeders faced to developed varieties of crops that have reduced levels of toxins in parts of plants that humans consume such as seeds of rapeseed (the source of Canola oil), which have been selected by geneticists to be low in glucosinolate toxins. Further, farmers have selected “sweet" varieties of almonds to be low in cyanide. This special issue is a call for researchers representing multiple disciplines including veterinarians, chemists, and toxicologists from around the world to share findings on poisonous plants of agricultural significance. Topics of interest extend to herbal supplements as well as fungal and microbial toxins that affect humans, livestock and other companions animals or wildlife.

Dr. Helena Fernández
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • alcaloids
  • biotic stress
  • defence
  • phenols
  • phytotoxins
  • secondary metabolism
  • terpenes

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1951 KiB  
Article
Metabolite Profiling of Conifer Needles: Tracing Pollution and Climate Effects
by Marius Gheorghe Miricioiu, Roxana Elena Ionete, Svetlana Simova, Dessislava Gerginova and Oana Romina Botoran
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14986; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914986 - 08 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 824
Abstract
In the face of escalating environmental challenges, understanding the intricate relationship between plant metabolites, pollution stress, and climatic conditions is of paramount importance. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of metabolic variations generated through 1H and 13C NMR measurements [...] Read more.
In the face of escalating environmental challenges, understanding the intricate relationship between plant metabolites, pollution stress, and climatic conditions is of paramount importance. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of metabolic variations generated through 1H and 13C NMR measurements in evergreen needles collected from different regions with varying pollution levels. Multivariate analyses were employed to identify specific metabolites responsive to pollution stress and climatic factors. Air pollution indicators were assessed through ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses. Our results revealed significant metabolic changes attributed to geographical origin, establishing these conifer species as potential indicators for both air pollution and climatic conditions. High levels of air pollution correlated with increased glucose and decreased levels of formic acid and choline. Principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled a clear species separation, largely influenced by succinic acid and threonine. Discriminant analysis (DA) confirmed these findings, highlighting the positive correlation of glucose with pollution grade. Beyond pollution assessment, these metabolic variations could have ecological implications, impacting interactions and ecological functions. Our study underscores the dynamic interplay between conifer metabolism, environmental stressors, and ecological systems. These findings not only advance environmental monitoring practices but also pave the way for holistic research encompassing ecological and physiological dimensions, shedding light on the multifaceted roles of metabolites in conifer responses to environmental challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Transcendental World of Plant Toxic Compounds)
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