Phytoalexins and phytoanticipins from the wild crucifers Thellungiella halophila and Arabidopsis thaliana:: Rapalexin A, wasalexins and camalexin

investigation of phytoalexin production using abiotic elicitation showed that the phytoalexin rapalexin A was produced by both Thellungiella halophila and Arabidopsis thaliana, but while A. thaliana produced camalexin, T halophila produced wasalexins A and B and methoxybrassenin B. Considering that the genome of T halophila is being sequenced currently and that the wasalexin pathway present in T halophila is expected to involve a number of genes also present in Brassica species, our discovery should facilitate the isolation of genes involved in biosynthetic pathways of phytoalexins of the most economically important crucifer species. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.