AUTHOR=Sarheed Mohammed Mahmood , Rajabi Fatemeh , Kunert Maritta , Boland Wilhelm , Wetters Sascha , Miadowitz Kai , Kaźmierczak Andrzej , Sahi Vaidurya Pratap , Nick Peter 

TITLE=Cellular Base of Mint Allelopathy: Menthone Affects Plant Microtubules

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.546345

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2020.546345

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Plants can use volatiles for remote suppression of competitors. Mints produce essential oils, which are known to affect the growth of other plants. We used a comparative approach to identify allelopathic compounds from different Mints (genus <italic>Mentha</italic>, but also including Cat Mint, <italic>Nepeta cataria</italic>, and Corean Mint, <italic>Agastache rugosa</italic>, belonging to sisters clades within the <italic>Mentheae</italic>) using the standard cress germination assay as readout. To understand the mechanism behind this allelopathic effect, we investigated the response of tobacco BY-2 cell lines, expressing GFP-tagged markers for microtubules and actin filaments to these essential oils. Based on the comparison between bioactivity and chemical components, we identified menthone as prime candidate for the allelopathic effect, and confirmed this bioactivity targeted to microtubules experimentally in both, plant cells (tobaccoBY-2), and seedlings (<italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic>). We could show that menthone disrupted microtubules and induced mortality linked with a rapid permeabilization (less than 15 min) of the plasma membrane. This mortality was elevated in a tubulin marker line, where microtubules are mildly stabilized. Our study paves the way for the development of novel bioherbicides that would be environmentally friendly.</p>