Plant Secondary Metabolism

Edwin Haslam, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Published online: May 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001812

Plants and microorganisms synthesize an extraordinary array of natural products that, in the majority of cases, appear to play no explicit role in the welfare and economy of the producing organism. For this reason they are commonly referred to as secondary metabolites.

Keywords: secondary metabolites; biosynthesis; accumulation; taxonomy; raison d’etre

Figure 1. Some terpenoid compounds from plants.
Figure 2. Biosynthesis of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate; the biological equivalents of ‘isoprene’.
Figure 3. The cinnamyl alcohols: precursors of lignins.
Figure 4. Some simple plant phenolics derived from the ‘hydroxycinnamate pool’. glc, glucose.
Figure 5. Tetrahydrocannabinol: derivation from ‘acetate’.
Figure 6. Plant phenolics derived from ‘acetate’ and ‘hydroxycinnamate pool’ precursors. glc, glucose.
Figure 7. Some plant alkaloids; biosynthetic origins shown in parentheses.
Figure 8. Miscellaneous classes of plant secondary metabolites – polyacetylenes, polyenes, cyanogenic glycosides, glucosinolates, nonprotein amino acids – and their biosynthetic precursors. glc, glucose.
Figure 9. Taxol biosynthesis: the role of oxygenation reactions (broken arrows). Ac, acetyl; Bz, benzoyl; Ph, phenyl.
Figure 10. Plant secondary products that act as hormones and signalling agents.
Figure 11. Plant secondary compounds in defence and allelopathy.
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 References
    Fraenkel G (1959) The raison d'être of secondary plant substances. Science 129: 1466–1470.
    Stahl E (1888) Pflanzen und Schnecken. Biologische Studie uber die Schutzmittel der Pflanzen gegen Schneckenfraas. Jenaische Z Naturwiss Med 22: 557–684.
    book Waterman PG (1992) "Roles for secondary metabolites in plants". In: Davies J (ed.) Secondary Metabolites: Their Evolution and Function, pp. 255–275, Ciba Foundation Symposium 171. Chichester, UK: Ciba Foundation, Wiley.
 Further Reading
    book Atkins PW (1987) Molecules, Scientific American Library. New York: WH Freeman.
    book Bell EA and Charlwood BV (eds) (1980) "Secondary plant products". In: Encyclopaedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, vol. 8. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
    book Davies J (ed.) (1992) Secondary Metabolites: Their Evolution and Function, Ciba Foundation Symposium 171. Chichester, UK: Ciba Foundation, Wiley.
    book Geissman TA and Crout DHG (1969) Organic Chemistry of Secondary Plant Metabolism. San Francisco: Freeman-Cooper.
    book Harborne JB (1993) Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry, 4th edn. London: Academic Press.
    Haslam E (1994/1995) Secondary metabolism – evolution and function: products or processes? Chemoecology 5/6: 89–95.
    book Herbert RB (1981) The Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites. London: Chapman and Hall.
    book Luckner M (1990) Secondary Metabolism in Micro-organisms, Plants and Animals. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
    book Mann J (1987) Secondary Metabolism. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
    book Mann J (1992) Murder, Magic and Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Article Title: Plant Secondary Metabolism
 
How to Cite close
Haslam, Edwin(May 2001) Plant Secondary Metabolism. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001812]