Plant Secondary Metabolites as Defenses, Regulators, and Primary Metabolites: The Blurred Functional Trichotomy

The plant kingdom produces hundreds of thousands of low molecular weight organic compounds. Based on the assumed functions of these compounds, the research community has classified them into three overarching groups: primary metabolites, which are directly required for plant growth; secondary (or specialized) metabolites, which mediate plant-environment interactions; and hormones, which regulate organismal processes and metabolism. For decades, this functional trichotomy of plant metabolism has shaped theory and experimentation in plant biology. However, exact biochemical boundaries between these different metabolite classes were never fully established. A new wave of genetic and chemical studies now further…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 1906486, 1655810
• UO
  University of Bern
• EC
  European Commission

  Awards: ERC-2016-STG, 714239
• NR
  National Research Foundation

  Award: DNRF99
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

  Award: 155781
• DG
  Danmarks Grundforskningsfond

  Awards: CA-D-PLS-7033-H, DNRF99
• NI
  National Institute of Food and Agriculture

  Awards: CA–D–PLS–7033–H, CA-D-PLS-7033-H
• ER
  European Research Council

  Award: ERC–2016–STG 714239
• DO
  Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences

  Award: 1906486
• DO
  Division of Integrative Organismal Systems

  Award: 1655810