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Plant Signal Behav

Title:		To survive or to slay: Resource-foraging role of metabolites implicated in allelopathy
Author(s):		Tharayil N;
Address:		"Entomology, Soils & Plant Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA. ntharay@clemson.edu"
Journal Title:		Plant Signal Behav
Year:		2009
Volume:		20090703
Issue:		7
Page Number:		580 - 583
DOI:		10.4161/psb.4.7.8915
ISSN/ISBN:		1559-2324 (Electronic) 1559-2316 (Print) 1559-2316 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The ecological relevance of allelopathy is highly debated due to the lack of phytotoxic concentrations of allelochemical in natural field conditions. Most of the putative allelochemicals are exuded at low concentrations, and subsequently undergo rapid chemical and biological degradation in soil matrices. At sub-toxic concentrations, due to hormesis effect, these compounds could possibly have a stimulatory effect on plant growth. Many of the suggested allelopathic compounds are chelants and can complex-with and mobilize metal ions in soil. These complexation reactions will detoxify the compound, but will increase the chemical-nutrient-foraging ability of the donor plant. The concentration in which these compounds are exuded matches with other similar secondary metabolites facilitating plant nutrient acquisition. Irrespective of whether the implicated PSMs facilitate donor plant in chemical nutrient-foraging or in poisoning the neighbors, the conferred advantage translates in terms of resource availability-in first case the donor enjoys uncontested nutrient uptake efficiency, where as in the latter the donor gain an uncontested access to resources. This further reaffirms the notion that resource competition and allelopathy are inextricable. Since most of the secondary metabolites could mobilize nutrients from soil, along with its phytotoxic effect, complementary self-facilitation roles of these compounds should be investigated"
Keywords:		Biological Availability Pheromones/*chemistry Plant Development Plants/*chemistry Soil/analysis;
Notes:		"MedlineTharayil, Nishanth eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review 2009/10/13 Plant Signal Behav. 2009 Jul; 4(7):580-3. doi: 10.4161/psb.4.7.8915. Epub 2009 Jul 3"