Phytoalexins are low molecular weight antimicrobial compounds that are produced by plants as
a response to biotic and abiotic stresses. As such they take part in an intricate defense system which
enables plants to control invading microorganisms. In the 1950s, research on phytoalexins started
with progress in their biochemistry and bio-organic chemistry, resulting in the determination of their
structure, their biological activity, as well as mechanisms of their synthesis and catabolism by
microorganisms. Elucidation of the biosynthesis of numerous phytoalexins...