Lipoxygenase 2 (LOX2) coordinates carotenoid and methyl jasmonate metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum.
Dong C, Song L, Li F, Wang B, Wang X
Plant Signaling
PubMedSame biochemical switch that makes plants fight off pests and stress also controls the pigments and aromas in your fruits, vegetables, and herbs — meaning this discovery could lead to tastier tomatoes, more colorful peppers, and stronger crops that need fewer pesticides.
Inside tobacco plants, scientists found that one particular protein acts like a two-in-one switch: it breaks down the yellow and orange pigments that give plants their color, and at the same time it cranks up the production of a chemical signal that plants use to defend themselves against threats. When researchers turned this protein off, plants became more colorful and leafy green; when they turned it up, the plants pumped out more stress chemicals and fruity-smelling aromas. This dual role means we could potentially tune a single gene to get crops that are both more resilient and better tasting.
Key Findings
Silencing LOX2 increased levels of four key carotenoids (β-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin) plus both forms of chlorophyll, making plants greener and more pigment-rich.
Overexpressing LOX2 elevated methyl jasmonate and 2-Hexenal (a green, grassy volatile) levels compared to wild-type plants, while also upregulating the genes responsible for making these compounds.
LOX2 was identified as the dominant isoform in the 13-LOX subfamily in tobacco and is strongly induced by methyl jasmonate treatment, revealing a self-amplifying feedback loop.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers discovered that a single enzyme called LOX2 in tobacco plants acts as a master controller, simultaneously breaking down color pigments (carotenoids) and ramping up the plant's stress-alarm chemical (methyl jasmonate). Manipulating this one gene could improve both how resilient plants are to stress and how flavorful crops taste.
Abstract Preview
Lipoxygenase (LOX) catalyzes the oxidation of linoleic acids and linolenic acids, yet their specific functions in carotenoid metabolism and regulation of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) biosynthesis in Nic...
open_in_new Read full abstract on PubMedAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Chloroplast Genome Editing Eliminates Gluten Immunogenicity in Triticum aestivum
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus Nicotiana of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. Seventy-nine species of tobacco are known, but the chief commercial crop is N. tabacum. The more potent variant N. rus...