Many primary and secondary plant metabolites are not constitutively produced during plant growth and development. Instead, their biosynthesis is triggered upon perception of abiotic or biotic stress exposure. We aim to understand how stress-inducible metabolic pathways have evolved at the metabolic, biochemical and genetic levels. The composition of stress-inducible metabolites will therefore be compared in a phylogenetic framework that covers selected Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes and selected Arabidopsis relatives within the Brassicaceae family. This will allow investigating phylogenetic variations within the biosynthesis of plant stress hormones and regulatory metabolites. Quantitative assessment of marker gene expression downstream of hormone production will reveal whether variations in hormone responsiveness and downstream pathway activation do exist. Simultaneous assessment of stress- and hormone-inducible phytochemical diversity will yield information about the variability of inducible metabolic end pathways within closely related plant varieties and species.

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