The genetic background of benzoxazinoid biosynthesis in cereals

Abstract

Benzoxazinoids (BXs) are important compounds in plant defense. Their allelopathic, nematode suppressive and antimicrobial properties are well known. BXs are found in monocot plants and in a few species of dicots. Over 50 years of study have led to the characterization of the chromosomal locations and coding sequences of almost all the genes involved in BX biosynthesis in a number of cereal species: ZmBx1–ZmBx10a÷c in maize, TaBx1–TaBx5, TaGT and Taglu in wheat, ScBx1÷ScBx5, ScBx6-like, ScGT and Scglu in rye. So far, the ortholog of the maize Bx7 gene has not been identified in the other investigated species. This review aims to summarize the available data on the genetic basis of BXs biosynthesis in cereals.