Juan A. Orozco

Convergent biosynthesis of insect molting hormones in plants

Insect herbivores have driven plants to evolve complex chemical defenses, including mimics of the arthropod molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Many distantly related plants produce 20E, suggesting multiple, independent evolutionary origins. However, despite the prevalence of 20E in arthropods and plants, complet...