Sulfur and sulfur compounds in plant defence

Abstract

The multiplicity of chemical structures of sulfur containing compounds, influenced in part by the element's several oxidation states, directly results in diverse modes of action for sulfur-containing natural products synthesized as secondary metabolites in plants. Sulfur-containing natural products constitute a formidable wall of defence against a wide range of pathogens and pests. Steady progress in the development of new technologies have advanced research in this area, helping to uncover the role of such important plant defence molecules like endogenously-released elemental sulphur, but also deepening current understanding of other better-studied compounds like the glucosinolates. As studies continue in this area, it is becoming increasingly evident that sulfur and sulfur compounds play far more important roles in plant defence than perhaps previously suspected.