Nδ-acetylornithine is a defensive non protein amino acid in Arabidopsis thaliana

In response to insect feeding or treatment with the plant defense elicitor methyl jasmonate, the small crucifer, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) produces the non-protein amino acid N-delta-acetylornithine. My project was focused on determining whether this amino acid has deleterious effects on aphids feeding from the plants. As part of my project, I conducted artificial diet assays with aphids, measured plant amino acids by high performance liquid chromatography, and conducted plant growth experiments. The results from my summer project are included in this publication:

Adio, A.M., Casteel, C.L., De Vos, M., Kim, J.H., Joshi, V., Li, B., Juery, C., Daron, J., Kliebenstein, D.J. and Jander, G. 2011. Biosynthesis and defensive function of N-delta-acetylornithine, a jasmonate-induced Arabidopsis metabolite. Plant Cell 23: 3303-3318