volicitin and indoleglycerol-phosphate

Maize and a variety of other plant species release volatile compounds in response to herbivore attack that serve as chemical cues to signal natural enemies of the feeding herbivore. N-(17-hydroxylinolenoyl)-l-glutamine is an elicitor component that has been isolated and chemically characterized from the regurgitant of the herbivore-pest beet armyworm. This fatty acid derivative, referred to as volicitin, triggers the synthesis and release of volatile components, including terpenoids and indole in maize. Here we report on a previously unidentified enzyme, indole-3-glycerol phosphate lyase (IGL), that catalyzes the formation of free indole and is selectively activated by volicitin. IGL's enzymatic properties are similar to BX1, a maize enzyme that serves as the entry point to the secondary defense metabolites DIBOA and DIMBOA. Gene-sequence analysis indicates that Igl and Bx1 are evolutionarily related to the tryptophan synthase alpha subunit.

Topics: alpha-Linolenic Acid; Animals; Base Sequence; DNA, Plant; Fatty Acids; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant; Glutamine; Glycerophosphates; Indole-3-Glycerol-Phosphate Synthase; Indoles; Molecular Sequence Data; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; RNA, Messenger; Spodoptera; Transcriptional Activation; Zea mays