Specificity of induction responses in Sinapis alba L.: Plant growth and development.

Plant defenses are expected to be negatively correlated with plant growth, development and reproduction. In a recent study, we investigated the specificity of induction responses of chemical defenses in the Brassicaceae Sinapis alba.1 It was shown that glucosinolate levels and myrosinase activities increased to different degrees after 24-hours-feeding by a specialist or generalist herbivore or mechanical wounding.

Revised determination of free and complexed myrosinase activities in plant extracts.

The enzyme myrosinase (thioglucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.

Specificity of induction responses in Sinapis alba L. and their effects on a specialist herbivore.

The glucosinolate-myrosinase system of Brassicaceae is known to hold a defensive function in both a constitutive and an inducible fashion. Glucosinolates are sulfur- and nitrogen-containing metabolites that are hydrolyzed upon tissue disruption by myrosinase enzymes. The resulting products are toxic for most herbivores.