The global yield of bananas-one of the most important food crops-is severely hampered by parasites, such as nematodes, which cause yield losses up to 75%. Plant-nematode interactions of two banana cultivars differing in susceptibility to Radopholus similis were investigated by combining the conventional and spatially resolved analytical techniques 1 H NMR spectroscopy, matrixfree UV-laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric imaging, and Raman microspectroscopy. This innovative combination of analytical techniques was applied to isolate, identify, and locate the bananaspecific type of phytoalexins, phenylphenalenones, in the R. similiscaused lesions of the plants. The striking antinematode activity of the phenylphenalenone anigorufone, its ingestion by the nematode, and its subsequent localization in lipid droplets within the nematode is reported. The importance of varying local concentrations of these specialized metabolites in infected plant tissues, their involvement in the plant's defense system, and derived strategies for improving banana resistance are highlighted.plant protection | induced plant defense | matrix-free LDI-MSI
Altered metabolism is increasingly acknowledged as an important aspect of cancer, and thus serves as a potentially fertile area for the identification of therapeutic targets or leads. Our recent work using transcriptional data to predict metabolite levels in cancer cells led to preliminary evidence of the antiproliferative role of menaquinone (Vitamin K2) in the Jurkat cell line model of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, nothing is known about the direct metabolic impacts of menaquinone in cancer, which could provide insights into its mechanism of action. Here, we used metabolomics to investigate the process by which menaquinone exerts antiproliferative activity on Jurkat cells. We first validated the dose-dependent, semi-selective, pro-apoptotic activity of menaquinone treatment on Jurkat cells relative to non-cancerous lymphoblasts. We then used mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to identify systems-scale changes in metabolic dynamics that are distinct from changes induced in non-cancerous cells or by other chemotherapeutics. One of the most significantly affected metabolites was phosphoethanolamine, which exhibited a two-fold increase in menaquinone-treated Jurkat cells compared to vehicle-treated cells at 24 h, growing to a five-fold increase at 72 h. Phosphoethanolamine elevation was observed prior to the induction of apoptosis, and was not observed in menaquinone-treated lymphoblasts or chemotherapeutic-treated Jurkat cells. We also validated the link between menaquinone and phosphoethanolamine in an ovarian cancer cell line, suggesting potentially broad applicability of their relationship. This metabolomics-based work is the first detailed characterization of the metabolic impacts of menaquinone treatment and the first identified link between phosphoethanolamine and menaquinone-induced apoptosis.
The role of lignin and phenols in plant defence ranges from preformed characteristic to inducible physical and chemical response against nematode infection. Our study shows the involvement of lignin and phenols in the defence of two newly identified resistant banana (Musa) genotypes to burrowing nematode Radopholus similis infection. Results were compared with reference resistant and susceptible banana cultivars. Histochemical analysis of root cross sections showed a more extensive secondary cell wall lignification of vascular bundles in R. similis-infected plants than in the nematode non-infected plants. Increased extensive lignification was not associated with the cortex cells that are directly attacked by the nematode. This showed that the increased lignification is a general defence response to protect the vascular bundle from damage rather than resisting the nematode development and reproduction at the root cortex. Histochemical localisation showed no preformed phenolic cells in the cortex of the non-infected, R. similis-resistant and -susceptible Musa genotypes. By contrast, phenolic substances were the major constituents of the nematode-infected necrotic cells. Phenols and lignin contents were also quantitatively assayed. The Folin-Ciocalteu assay confirmed the increase in phenol content of nematode-infected root cells. Phenol content in nematode-infected plants was twice the amount of phenol content in nematode noninfected plants at 3 weeks after infection. This is possibly due to the biosynthesis or accumulation of secondary metabolites such as phenolic phytoalexins in the nematode infection sites of all the banana genotypes. This study clearly demonstrates that phenols and lignin play an important role in the defence mechanisms of Musa to R. similis infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.