Sulfur and sulfur compounds in plant defence.

[Storm Shadow]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22545416

Sulfur and sulfur compounds in plant defence.

Abstract

The multiplicity of chemical structures of sulfur containing compounds, influenced in part by the element's several oxidation states, directly results in diverse modes of action for sulfur-containing natural products synthesized as secondary metabolites in plants. Sulfur-containing natural products constitute a formidable wall of defence against a wide range of pathogens and pests. Steady progress in the development of new technologies have advanced research in this area, helping to uncover the role of such important plant defence molecules like endogenously-released elemental sulphur, but also deepening current understanding of other better-studied compounds like the glucosinolates. As studies continue in this area, it is becoming increasingly evident that sulfur and sulfur compounds play far more important roles in plant defence than perhaps previously suspected.

 

[shmalphy]

It also plays a role in terpene production, and I have suspicions the two are related.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiol
"Many thiols have strong odors resembling that of garlic. The odors of thiols are often strong and repulsive, particularly for those of low molecular weight. The spray of skunks consists mainly of low-molecular-weight thiol compounds"

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organosulfur_compounds

Organosulfur compounds are organic compounds that contain sulfur.[1] They are often associated with foul odors, but many of the sweetest compounds known are organosulfur derivatives, e.g., saccharin. Nature abounds with organosulfur compounds—sulfur is essential for life. Two of the 20 common amino acids are organosulfur compounds, and the antibiotics penicillin (pictured below) and sulfa drugs both contain sulfur. While sulfur-containing antibiotics save many lives, sulfur mustard is a deadly chemical warfare agent. Fossil fuels, coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which are derived from ancient organisms, necessarily contain organosulfur compounds, the removal of which is a major focus of oil refineries.