Plant secretory structures: more than just reaction bags

- Plants can produce large quantities of specialized metabolites in dedicated organs.
- Enzyme isoforms with specific characteristics contribute to this high productivity.
- Green trichomes are sink organs that use photosynthesis as energy provider.

Plants have a remarkable capacity for the production of a wide range of metabolites. Much has been reported and reviewed on the diversity of these metabolites and how it is achieved, for example through the evolution of enzyme families. In comparison, relatively little is known on the extraordinary metabolic productivity of dedicated organs where many of these metabolites are synthesized and accumulate. Plant glandular trichomes are such specialized metabolite factories, for which recent omics analyses have shed new light on the adaptive metabolic strategies that support high metabolic fluxes. In photosynthetic trichomes such as those of the Solanaceae, these include CO2 refixation and possibly C4-like metabolism which contribute to the high productivity of these sink organs.

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