New Mechanistic Insights: Why Do Plants Produce Isoprene?

ABSTRACT: In this article, we argue that the primary role of isoprene is to remove the singlet delta oxygen (O₂ ¹Δ_g) that forms inside plants by ultraviolet excitation rather than to provide heat protection or scavenge ozone, OH, or other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the gas phase. By deploying a quantum chemical framework, we address for the first time the exact mode of isoprene reactions with O₂ ¹Δ_g, the most prominent ROS that causes damage to leaves. Initial reactions of isoprene with O₂ ¹Δ_g comprise its addition at the two terminal carbon atoms. The two primary open-shell adducts that appear in these reactions undergo 1,2-cycloaddition to generate methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein, the sole

SUBMITTER: Zeinali N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6640788 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature