Secondary metabolites and their role in evolution.

ABSTRACT

The role of secondary metabolites in evolution will be examined with the view that they are chemicals released within a system by one component which have evolved to affect other component(s) within the system. Secondary metabolites are a natural outgrowth and consequence of an increase in complexity, and they are a critical part of the chemical "glue" that holds a system together. An analysis of secondary metabolites from a broad perspective (e.g. genetics, ecology, evolution, etc.) suggests that the nature of secondary metabolism can be viewed as a critical component of an emergent system (ecological) arising from a host of interlocking cycles and feedback processes.