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Plant Soil (2011) 342:3148 DOI 10.1007/s11104-010-0673-y
REVIEW ARTICLE
Non-protein amino acids: plant, soil and ecosystem interactions
Valerie Vranova & Klement Rejsek &
Keith R. Skene & Pavel Formanek
Received: 24 June 2010 /Accepted: 19 November 2010 /Published online: 3 December 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
Abstract Non-protein amino acids are a significant store of organic nitrogen in many ecosystems, but there is a lack of knowledge relating to them. Research has indicated that they play important roles as metabolites, as allelopthic chemicals, in nutrient acquisition, in signalling and in stress response. They are also thought to be responsible for significant medical issues in both invertebrate and vertebrate animals. This review attempts to appraise the literature related to non-protein amino acids, both in terms of their metabolism, plantsoil interactions and at the level of the ecosystem, where they are seen as significant drivers of structure and function. Finally, important areas for future research are discussed.
Keywords Plant . Non-protein amino acids . Metabolism . Role . Soil . Ecosystem
Introduction
While twenty amino acids are involved directly in protein structure, there are thousands of others, the non-protein amino acids (NPAAs), that play no such role. Of these, some 250 are found in plants, particularly within a small subset of families, including the Leguminosae, Sapindaceae, Aceraceae, Hippocastenaceae and Cucurbitaceae. These amino acids have been relatively ignored compared to the big 20, yet it is becoming clear that they play significant roles in ecological and physiological processes. The involvement of NPAAs as phytosiderophores has long been acknowledged (e.g. Zhang et al. 1991; Shenker et al. 2001), and a range of studies have also examined the occurrence of NPAAs in meteorites, sediments, rivers, lakes and other water bodies, in addition to soils including peat (Kvenvolden et al. 1971; Casagrande and Given 1980; Cole and Lee 1986; Aufdenkampe et al. 2001).
In plants, NPAAs possess different roles including antiherbivory, antimicrobial and allelochemical activity, protection against stress, signalling, nitrogen storage and as toxins against invertebrates and vertebrates (Bell 2003). However, many aspects of NPAAs have been largely overlooked, yet new research points to their importance in metabolism
Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.
V. Vranova : K. Rejsek : P. Formanek (*) Department of Geology and Soil Science, Mendel University in...