Leonov Anna, Arlia-Ciommo Anthony, Piano Amanda, Svistkova Veronika, Lutchman Vicky, Medkour Younes, Titorenko Vladimir I
Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street, West, SP Building, Room 501-13, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
Molecules. 2015 Apr 13;20(4):6544-72. doi: 10.3390/molecules20046544.
Phytochemicals are structurally diverse secondary metabolites synthesized by plants and also by non-pathogenic endophytic microorganisms living within plants. Phytochemicals help plants to survive environmental stresses, protect plants from microbial infections and environmental pollutants, provide them with a defense from herbivorous organisms and attract natural predators of such organisms, as well as lure pollinators and other symbiotes of these plants. In addition, many phytochemicals can extend longevity in heterotrophic organisms across phyla via evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. In this review, we discuss such mechanisms. We outline how structurally diverse phytochemicals modulate a complex network of signaling pathways that orchestrate a distinct set of longevity-defining cellular processes. This review also reflects on how the release of phytochemicals by plants into a natural ecosystem may create selective forces that drive the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms in heterotrophic organisms inhabiting this ecosystem. We outline the most important unanswered questions and directions for future research in this vibrant and rapidly evolving field.
植物化学物质是植物以及生活在植物体内的非致病性内生微生物合成的结构多样的次生代谢产物。植物化学物质帮助植物在环境压力下生存，保护植物免受微生物感染和环境污染物侵害，为它们提供抵御食草生物的防御能力，并吸引此类生物的自然捕食者，以及吸引这些植物的传粉者和其他共生生物。此外，许多植物化学物质可以通过进化上保守的机制延长不同门类异养生物的寿命。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了这些机制。我们概述了结构多样的植物化学物质如何调节一个复杂的信号通路网络，该网络协调一系列独特的决定寿命的细胞过程。这篇综述还思考了植物将植物化学物质释放到自然生态系统中如何可能产生选择压力，从而推动栖息在该生态系统中的异养生物寿命调节机制的进化。我们概述了这个充满活力且快速发展的领域中最重要的未解决问题和未来研究方向。
