Abstract
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze) shows accession-level differentiation in a variety of morphometric traits, suggesting local adaptation. To investigate whether the presumed defense compound urushiol also demonstrates accession-level accumulation differences, in vitro nascent germinated poison ivy seedlings from geographically isolated populations were germinated in vitro and then assayed for known urushiol congener accumulation levels. Significant accession-level differences in the accumulation levels of total C15- and C17-, total C15-, total C17-, specific C15 congeners, and specific C17 congeners of urushiol were identified. In addition, hereto novel C15- and C17-urushiol isomers were identified as well. Cardanols are assumed to be the penultimate metabolites giving rise to urushiols, but this assumption was not previously empirically validated. C15-cardanol congeners and isomers corresponding to expected substrates needed to produce the observed C15-urushiol congeners and isomers were identified in the same poison ivy seedling extracts. Total C15-cardanol and C15-cardanol congeners also showed significant accession-level differences. Based on the observed C15-cardanol congeners in poison ivy, the penultimate step in urushiol biosynthesis was proposed to be a cardanol-specific hydroxylase activity.
Highlights
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L) Kuntze) is a noxious native North American woody liana [1,2].Poison ivy is widely known because human contact often results in “poison ivy rash” on exposed skin [3,4]
The seedlings were harvested at the nascent fully-emerged seedling stage, stored as frozen tissue, and alkylphenols were extracted analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [25]
We extended significant poison ivy accession-level differences to urushiol chemical diversity in total C15:0 species (C15)-urushiol, total C17:3-urushiol isomers (C17)-urushiol, ratio of total C15:C17-urushiols, C:15-urushiol congeners, and C17-urushiol congeners steady state accumulation levels
Summary
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L) Kuntze) is a noxious native North American woody liana [1,2]. Poison ivy is widely known because human contact often results in “poison ivy rash” on exposed skin [3,4]. As many as 10–50 million cases of poison ivy rash occur each year [3,5]. The natural product produced by poison ivy that is responsible for causing the skin rash symptoms is generically called urushiol [6]. Urushiol is not a toxin, but rather a contact allergen. The skin rash symptoms are an immunological/allergenic response to urushiol-exposure on human skin [4]. The dermatological symptoms can last for 3–6 weeks and will eventually resolve into normal looking skin
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