Meeting Abstract

113.1  Monday, Jan. 7  Estrogens and Plants EDWARDS, TM; Louisiana Tech University tedwards@latech.edu

Our lab has shown that estrogenicity in soybeans varies among plant organs, and changes across the season as plants mature, and respond to seasonal environmental change. Estrogenicity of plant tissues comes from “phytoestrogens” – lignans, coumestans, and especially flavonoids. These plant molecules serve myriad physiological and ecological roles in plants, including UV protection, auxin transport regulation, attraction of pollinators and symbionts, and modulation of herbivore endocrine function. The effects on herbivores are due to cross-reactivity of phytoestrogens with animal estrogen receptors. We have also shown that exogenous estradiol (an animal estrogen), genistein (a phytoestrogen), and bisphenol A (an estrogenic component of plastics) alter development, growth, and reproduction in green beans. Our data show that plants are sensitive to environmental estrogens as are animals. These observations suggest a larger ecological and evolutionary role for estrogens as cross-taxa signaling agents, a hypothesis that is supported by recent findings of flavonoids in basal groups – red, green, and brown algae, and mixtures of cyanobacteria and diatoms.