Herbivore Adaptations to Plant Cyanide Defenses

Ohlen, Maike, van; Herfurth, Anna-Maria; Wittstock, Ute

doi:10.5772/66277

Article / Chapter 2017 CC BY 4.0

Published

Herbivore Adaptations to Plant Cyanide Defenses

Ohlen, Maike van ; Herfurth, Anna-Maria; Wittstock, Ute

As plants are fixed to their habitat they produce specialized metabolites as chemical defenses to fight of herbivores. As an example, many plants produce cyanogenic glucosides and release toxic cyanide upon tissue damage (“cyanide bomb”). As a prerequisite for exploring cyanogenic plants as hosts, herbivores have evolved mechanisms to overcome cyanogenic defenses. Mammals metabolize cyanide to thiocyanate by rhodaneses. In arthropods, both rhodaneses and β-cyanoalanine synthases which transfer cyanide to cysteine contribute to cyanide detoxification. However, based on enzyme activity tests some arthropod species possess only one of these activities, and some possess both. Recently, cloning and characterization of first arthropod β-cyanoalanine synthases provided evidence for their involvement in cyanide detoxiication. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that they have been recruited from microbial symbionts. Investigations with Zygaena filipendulae revealed that the avoidance of cyanide release is the primary mode of overcoming cyanide in this specialist. Some herbivores are able to sequester, de novo synthesize, and store cyanogenic glucosides for their defense and as nitrogen source. Thus, herbivores have evolved various mechanisms to counteract host plant cyanide defenses. These mechanisms are likely to have played a key role in the evolution of plant-herbivore interactions as well as in speciation and diversification of arthropods.

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Category

Original:

In: Herbivores. Vonnie D. C. Shields, ISBN: 978-9535129875, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/66277

Date Issued:

2017

URN:

urn:nbn:de:gbv:084-2018082014503

DOI:

10.5772/66277

PPN:

1029224838

Language:

English

Type of Resource:

Text

Extent:

29 Seiten

Keywords:

cyanide detoxiication, plant secondary/specialized metabolism, cyanogenic glucosides, β-cyanoalanine synthase, rhodanese

Typ

Schlagwort

DDC:

570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

DDC:

580 Pflanzen (Botanik)

Location:

Publications of TU Braunschweig

URL:

http://publikationsserver.tu-braunschweig.de/get/65945

URL:

https://www.intechopen.com/books/herbivores

Hosting institution:

02 - Life Sciences

Comment:

Abstract des gesamten Buches: This book provides an overview of the current knowledge of herbivory. This book contains chapters from a wide variety of topics that fall into the following broad sections: (I) "Plant Defense Mechanisms and Herbivore Adaptations," (II) "Herbivory and Food Processing of Grazing Animals," and (III) "Herbivory Effects on Plant Communities." More specifically, the contributions of this book, written by experts in their respective fields, focus on topics including the chemical plant defense against herbivores as well as herbivore adaptions to plant cyanide defenses, the utilization of biomarkers to study grazing behavior of ruminants, modeling for describing ruminant herbivory, as well as improving grain processing to improve dairy cow performance. Contributions on positive indirect interactions in marine herbivores and algae are included, as is one focusing on herbivory by lizards. These chapters represent recent contributions showing the diversity of ongoing research in this field of study. This book targets a wide audience of general biologists as well as botanists, ecologists, and zoologists including both teachers and students in gaining a better appreciation of this rapidly growing field.