Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites
National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
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Academic Editor: Peter Meikle
Metabolites 2016, 6(4), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo6040031
Received: 22 August 2016
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Revised: 26 September 2016
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Accepted: 27 September 2016
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Published: 30 September 2016
Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating disease of wheat. Partial resistance to FHB of several wheat cultivars includes specific metabolic responses to inoculation. Previously published studies have determined major metabolic changes induced by pathogens in resistant and susceptible plants. Functionality of the majority of these metabolites in resistance remains unknown. In this work we have made a compilation of all metabolites determined as selectively accumulated following FHB inoculation in resistant plants. Characteristics, as well as possible functions and targets of these metabolites, are investigated using cheminformatics approaches with focus on the likelihood of these metabolites acting as drug-like molecules against fungal pathogens. Results of computational analyses of binding properties of several representative metabolites to homology models of fungal proteins are presented. Theoretical analysis highlights the possibility for strong inhibitory activity of several metabolites against some major proteins in Fusarium graminearum, such as carbonic anhydrases and cytochrome P450s. Activity of several of these compounds has been experimentally confirmed in fungal growth inhibition assays. Analysis of anti-fungal properties of plant metabolites can lead to the development of more resistant wheat varieties while showing novel application of cheminformatics approaches in the analysis of plant/pathogen interactions.
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Keywords:
Fusarium head blight; Fusarium graminearum; cheminformatics; metabolomics; plant resistance; biotic stress; antifungal; carbonic anhydrase; cytochrome P450
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MDPI and ACS Style
Cuperlovic-Culf, M.; Rajagopalan, N.; Tulpan, D.; Loewen, M.C. Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites. Metabolites 2016, 6, 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo6040031
AMA Style
Cuperlovic-Culf M, Rajagopalan N, Tulpan D, Loewen MC. Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites. Metabolites. 2016; 6(4):31. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo6040031
Chicago/Turabian StyleCuperlovic-Culf, Miroslava, NandhaKishore Rajagopalan, Dan Tulpan, and Michele C. Loewen. 2016. "Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites" Metabolites 6, no. 4: 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo6040031
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