Abstract
The sterol fraction of Glycine max (soybean) was found to contain a mixture of 13 major sterols which differed dramatically in composition between seeds and shoots. Typical C4-desmethyl Δ5-sterols, including sitosterol, predominate the sterol mixture of shoots, whereas C4-methyl sterol intermediates, cycloartenol and 24(28)-methylene cycloartanol, accumulate in seeds. The significance of modified sterol profile of shoot compared to seed was relevant to the physiology of Phytophthora sojae, a phytopathogen of soybean shown to be auxotrophic for sterol. Sterols native to the host plant containing a C4-methyl group, such as cycloartenol, were not utilized by the fungus. Alternatively, all Δ5-sterols added to the culture media of P. sojae supported normal growth and promoted viable oospore production. The results demonstrate the importance of sterols in plant-fungal interactions and offer the possibility of bioengineering the phytosterol pathway for resistance to phytopathogens which scavenge specific sterols of the host plant to complete the life cycle.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 423-428 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Phytochemistry |
Volume | 58 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2001 |
Keywords
- Glycine max
- Host-pathogen interactions
- Leguminosae
- Oomycetes
- Phytophthora sojae
- Sitosterol
- Soybean
- Sterol