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Review Article|21 Sep 2016|OPEN
Biosynthesis and molecular actions of specialized 1,4-naphthoquinone natural products produced by horticultural plants
Joshua R Widhalm1 , and David Rhodes,1
1Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, 625 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2010, USA
*Corresponding author. E-mail: jwidhalm@purdue.edu

Horticulture Research 3,
Article number: 46 (2016)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/hortres.2016.46
Views: 986

Received: 27 Jul 2016
Accepted: 23 Aug 2016
Published online: 21 Sep 2016

Abstract

The 1,4-naphthoquinones (1,4-NQs) are a diverse group of natural products found in every kingdom of life. Plants, including many horticultural species, collectively synthesize hundreds of specialized 1,4-NQs with ecological roles in plant–plant (allelopathy), plant–insect and plant–microbe interactions. Numerous horticultural plants producing 1,4-NQs have also served as sources of traditional medicines for hundreds of years. As a result, horticultural species have been at the forefront of many basic studies conducted to understand the metabolism and function of specialized plant 1,4-NQs. Several 1,4-NQ natural products derived from horticultural plants have also emerged as promising scaffolds for developing new drugs. In this review, the current understanding of the core metabolic pathways leading to plant 1,4-NQs is provided with additional emphasis on downstream natural products originating from horticultural species. An overview on the biochemical mechanisms of action, both from an ecological and pharmacological perspective, of 1,4-NQs derived from horticultural plants is also provided. In addition, future directions for improving basic knowledge about plant 1,4-NQ metabolism are discussed.