BO3 - Spicy by Nature or by Neighbor? Investigating Spatial Effects on Pepper Enzymes
SCURS Disciplines
Cell Biology
Document Type
General Presentation (Oral)
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Capsicum sp. peppers are widely known for edible varieties that have more sweetness and varieties known more for spiciness. Spicy peppers produce capsaicinoids, which can differ in pungency. Capsaicinoids are generated by pepper plants through the phenylpropanoid and branched-chain fatty acid pathways, which involve the Pun1 gene (also known as AT3). The Pun1 gene’s protein product is an enzyme called capsaicin synthase. The length of the Pun1 gene corresponds to spiciness of the peppers. Capsaicinoids undergo turnover in pepper plants where peroxidase enzymes are involved in the breakdown of capsaicinoids through oxidation, and generally, pepper spiciness correlates with peroxidase levels according to earlier literature. Our past findings, however, indicate this is not always the case. Last year, our peppers’ peroxidase levels were not directly correlated with spiciness of the pepper or capsaicin levels. Instead, peroxidase levels appeared to be more reliant on placement of the pepper plant in the garden bed. Therefore, we sought to determine the mechanism by which plant placement affects the peroxidase and capsaicin levels in the peppers. In the garden bed for year two of our study, we had the following design from left to right: we completely isolated two ghost pepper plants underground using a barrier, had two ghost pepper plants that were not isolated, two habanero plants close to the non-isolated ghost pepper plants, and two habanero plants that were not isolated underground but were much farther from all of the other plants (in effect, ensuring no leaf or branch contact above ground). We isolated protein and measured peroxidase levels using a Bradford Assay-style spectrophotometry method that instead used chloronaphthol and hydrogen peroxide. We used a Bradford Assay to measure total protein and reported the peroxidase level as a function of total protein. Our research could provide insight as to plant communications and plant stress based on placement near other plants.
Keywords
peroxidase, Capsicum sp., pepper, capsaicin
Start Date
10-4-2026 2:55 PM
Location
CASB 101
End Date
10-4-2026 3:10 PM
BO3 - Spicy by Nature or by Neighbor? Investigating Spatial Effects on Pepper Enzymes
CASB 101
Capsicum sp. peppers are widely known for edible varieties that have more sweetness and varieties known more for spiciness. Spicy peppers produce capsaicinoids, which can differ in pungency. Capsaicinoids are generated by pepper plants through the phenylpropanoid and branched-chain fatty acid pathways, which involve the Pun1 gene (also known as AT3). The Pun1 gene’s protein product is an enzyme called capsaicin synthase. The length of the Pun1 gene corresponds to spiciness of the peppers. Capsaicinoids undergo turnover in pepper plants where peroxidase enzymes are involved in the breakdown of capsaicinoids through oxidation, and generally, pepper spiciness correlates with peroxidase levels according to earlier literature. Our past findings, however, indicate this is not always the case. Last year, our peppers’ peroxidase levels were not directly correlated with spiciness of the pepper or capsaicin levels. Instead, peroxidase levels appeared to be more reliant on placement of the pepper plant in the garden bed. Therefore, we sought to determine the mechanism by which plant placement affects the peroxidase and capsaicin levels in the peppers. In the garden bed for year two of our study, we had the following design from left to right: we completely isolated two ghost pepper plants underground using a barrier, had two ghost pepper plants that were not isolated, two habanero plants close to the non-isolated ghost pepper plants, and two habanero plants that were not isolated underground but were much farther from all of the other plants (in effect, ensuring no leaf or branch contact above ground). We isolated protein and measured peroxidase levels using a Bradford Assay-style spectrophotometry method that instead used chloronaphthol and hydrogen peroxide. We used a Bradford Assay to measure total protein and reported the peroxidase level as a function of total protein. Our research could provide insight as to plant communications and plant stress based on placement near other plants.