Quassinoide – wie invasive Pflanzen Abwehrstoffe bilden

Abstract

The tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a widespread invasive plant. It secretes specialized metabolites, so called quassinoids, into the soil to inhibit competing plants. Quassinoids therefore bear biotechnological potential for plant protection as well as medicinal applications. Here, I describe how reconstitution of biochemical pathways in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana enables the discovery of genes for quassinoid biosynthesis as a prerequisite for biotechnological applications.