Scientists Discover New Plant Metabolites

Researchers from Purdue University have discovered a new set of plant metabolites which are synthesized by Arabidopsis plants. Arabidopsis are small flowering plants related to cabbage and mustard and is commonly used as model for studying plant biology.

The said discovery occurred while Purdue scientists were studying how new metabolic pathways evolve in plants. The metabolites, which the scientists called arabidopyrones can only be found in Arabidopsis although it is still unclear what do these metabolites do.

Clint Chapple, project leader of the research and Purdue's professor of biochemistry, explained that understanding plant metabolism is critical in order to understand how plants evolve and adapt to their environment. In an applied sense, having access to the genes involved in plant metabolism helps scientists to manipulate those processes and harness them for future use.

See Purdue University's news release at http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2012/Q3/never-before-seen-plant-metabolites-discovered.html.