Expression profiles of genes for enzymes involved in capsidiol production in Nicotiana benthamiana

In Solanaceae plants, the major phytoalexins produced during the induction of plant defense are sesquiterpenoids, such as capsidiol for Nicotiana species and rishitin for Solanum species, which are produced via the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. There are eight enzymes involved in the production of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), the common precursor of phytosterols for maintaining membrane integrity and sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins for plant defense. In this study, expression profiles of N. benthamiana genes for the production of capsidiol during the induction of disease resistance were investigated.