Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40527977›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Multiple glutathione-S-transferases detoxify diverse glucosinolate-based defenses of Brassicales plants in a generalist lepidopteran herbivore (Spodoptera littoralis).

Ruo Sun, Samantha Römhild, Yoko Nakamura, Michael Reichelt, Katrin Luck, Duc Tam Mai, Beate Rothe, Jonathan Gershenzon, Daniel Giddings Vassão

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Detoxification of conifer antimicrobial defenses promotes entomopathogenic fungus infection of bark beetles.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ruo SunDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany. rsun@ice.mpg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9861-6097
Samantha RömhildDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-6622-0176
Yoko NakamuraDepartment of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
Michael ReicheltDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6691-6500
Katrin LuckDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
Duc Tam MaiDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
Beate RotheDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
Jonathan GershenzonDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany. gershenzon@ice.mpg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1812-1551
Daniel Giddings VassãoDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany. vassao@ice.mpg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8455-9298

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brassicales plants defend themselves with glucosinolates that, upon herbivory, are hydrolyzed into toxic isothiocyanates (ITCs) and other derivatives. The side chain diversity of glucosinolates results in a range of structurally distinct products, but how this chemical variation affects herbivores and their detoxification responses remains incompletely understood. Here, we show the effects of ITC hydrolysis products with various side chains on Spodoptera littoralis larvae and their detoxification system. ITCs inhibit larval growth to varying degrees, depending on the chemical nature of their side chain. The larvae metabolize ITCs by conjugating them to glutathione in the mercapturic acid pathway and to lysine forming an amine conjugate. Over half of the 34 S. littoralis glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), tested as His-tagged derivatives, actively conjugate ITCs, with most catalyzing reactions with multiple substrates. Larval performance on various ITC-containing diets correlates positively with GST activity, highlighting this detoxification system's role in supporting growth on glucosinolate-containing plants. The propensity of multiple GSTs to react with an individual ITC and the wide expression of GST-encoding genes across larval organs likely promote the ability of this generalist herbivore to thrive on glucosinolate-defended Brassicales plants. These findings provide insight into herbivore adaptation and may inform future research on plant-insect interactions.

Indexed as

BrassicaceaeGlucosinolatesGlutathione TransferaseHerbivorySpodopteraAnimalsIsothiocyanatesLarvaGlucosinolatesGlutathione TransferaseIsothiocyanates

Identifiers

PMID40527977
PMCPMC12174363

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.