Cotton contains a unique group of terpenoids including desoxyhemigossypol, hemigossypol, gossypol, hemigossypolone, and the heliocides that are part of the plant's defense system against pathogenic fungi and insects. Desoxyhemigossypol is a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of these compounds. We have isolated, purified, and characterized from cotton stele tissue infected with Verticillium dahliae a methyltransferase (S-adenosyl-L-Met: desoxyhemigossypol-6-O-methyltransferase) that specifically methylates the 6-position of desoxyhemigossypol to form desoxyhemigossypol-6-methyl ether with a K(m) value of 4.5 µM for desoxyhemigossypol and a K(cat)/K(m) of 5.08 x 10(4) s(-1) (mol/L)(-1). The molecular mass of the native enzyme is 81.4 kD and is dissociated into two subunits of 41.2 kD on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels. The enzymatic reaction does not require Mg(+2) and is inhibited 98% with 10 mM p-chloromercuribenzoate. Desoxyhemigossypol-6-methyl ether leads to the biosynthesis of methylated hemigossypol, gossypol, hemigossypolone, and the heliocides, which lowers their effectiveness as phytoalexins and insecticides.