Metabolites

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shawn A. Christensen

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Guest Editor

Chemistry Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1700 S.W. 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
Interests: plant defense; metabolomics; plant–insect and plant–microbe interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to submit a research article or a review for the Metabolites Special Issue “Metabolism in Molecular Plant–Insect and Plant–Microbe Interactions.”

When considering the billions of interorganismal interactions occurring on earth, those among plants, insects, and microbes are some of the most diverse and economically impactful. Central to these interactions are metabolites that serve as bioactive modulators of plant, insect, and microbe physiology. With the recent advent of metabolomics technologies, the discovery of active molecules that regulate these interactions has progressed rapidly. This Special Issue aims to highlight the general metabolism underpinning these interactions, the known molecules that regulate them, and novel discoveries regarding both known and unknown biochemicals that govern their interplay. Studies that utilize genetics and biology methods to characterize the functional role of significant metabolites are also encouraged.

We solicit research articles presenting results from both plant–insect and plant–microbe interactions and welcome review articles that provide a sound understanding of the interactive physiology of these organisms.

Dr. Shawn A. Christensen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

metabolism
plant–insect interactions
plant–microbe interactions
plant defense
herbivory
plant pathology
biochemistry

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 1188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detecting the Conspecific: Herbivory-Induced Olfactory Cues in the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

by David A. Ingber, Shawn A. Christensen, Hans T. Alborn and Ivan Hiltpold

Metabolites 2021, 11(9), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11090583 - 30 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2917

Abstract

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), is a polyphagous pest whose larval feeding threatens several economically important crops worldwide with especially severe damage to corn (Zea mays L.). Field-derived resistance to several conventional pesticides and Bt toxins have threatened the efficacy of current management strategies, necessitating the development of alternative pest management methods and technologies. One possible avenue is the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other secondary metabolites that are produced and sequestered by plants as a response to larval feeding. The effects of conspecific larval feeding on fall armyworm oviposition preferences and larval fitness were examined using two-choice oviposition experiments, larval feeding trials, targeted metabolomics, and VOC analyses. There was a significant preference for oviposition on corn plants that lacked larval feeding damage, and larvae fed tissue from damaged plants exhibited reduced weights and head capsule widths. All larval feeding promoted significantly increased metabolite and VOC concentrations compared to corn plants without any feeding. Metabolite differences were driven primarily by linoleic acid (which is directly toxic to fall armyworm) and tricarboxylic acids. Several VOCs with significantly increased concentrations in damaged corn plants were known oviposition deterrents that warrant further investigation in an integrated pest management context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolism in Molecular Plant–Insect and Plant–Microbe Interactions)

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Review

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19 pages, 1816 KiB

Open AccessReview

Phloroglucinol Derivatives in Plant-Beneficial Pseudomonas spp.: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Functions

by Adrien Biessy and Martin Filion

Metabolites 2021, 11(3), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11030182 - 20 Mar 2021

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3642

Abstract

Plant-beneficial Pseudomonas spp. aggressively colonize the rhizosphere and produce numerous secondary metabolites, such as 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG). DAPG is a phloroglucinol derivative that contributes to disease suppression, thanks to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. A famous example of this biocontrol activity has been previously described in the context of wheat monoculture where a decline in take-all disease (caused by the ascomycete Gaeumannomyces tritici) has been shown to be associated with rhizosphere colonization by DAPG-producing Pseudomonas spp. In this review, we discuss the biosynthesis and regulation of phloroglucinol derivatives in the genus Pseudomonas, as well as investigate the role played by DAPG-producing Pseudomonas spp. in natural soil suppressiveness. We also tackle the mode of action of phloroglucinol derivatives, which can act as antibiotics, signalling molecules and, in some cases, even as pathogenicity factors. Finally, we discuss the genetic and genomic diversity of DAPG-producing Pseudomonas spp. as well as its importance for improving the biocontrol of plant pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolism in Molecular Plant–Insect and Plant–Microbe Interactions)

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