Debneyol decoded: A metabolic organizer powers broad‐spectrum plant defense

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Abstract
A new Cell study by Wang et al. resolves the long‐elusive biosynthesis and regulation of debneyol, a fungicidal sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin in Solanaceae. The authors define the complete three‐step route from farnesyl pyrophosphate to debneyol and identify the small protein MCD1 as a metabolic organizer that assembles a multienzyme complex to channel flux away from the competing capsidiol branch. The work delivers a roadmap for engineering broad‐spectrum crop resistance and for synthetic biology‐based production of debneyol as a candidate bio‐based crop protectant.