Scientists Find a Gene for Boosting Plant Pest Resistance
May 29, 2013| |
Plants lack the ability to move away from environmental stresses such as pests and pathogens. Thus, they evolved to have complex immune systems to protect themselves from such harm. Recent studies have shown that plant hormones known as jasmonates play an important role in such kind of defense, as well as in plant growth. Researcher Po Hu of Tsinghua University in China and colleagues discovered a gene (JAV1) in the jasmonate pathway that is involved only in defense and not in plant development.
According to Hu's findings, plants build up jasmonates during insect attack or pathogen infestation. This triggers degradation of the JAV1 protein. Upon degradation, defensive gene expression is activated and elevate resistances against biotic stress.
This study explains the molecular mechanisms involved when plants use jasmonate signals to protect themselves from biotic stresses.
Read the abstract at http://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/abstract/S1097-2765(13)00332-8.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- CropLife Calls To Enrich Soil in Celebration of the Int'l Day of Biodiversity
- Research Partnership to Address Problems on Dryland Agriculture
- Scientists Note Rapid Spread of CBSD in Africa
- Ghana to Start Multi-loc Field Trials of Bt Cotton
- Orange Maize Improves Yields and Nutrition for Families in Zambia
- Court of Appeals Affirms Deregulation of HT Alfalfa in the U.S.
- U.S. Senate Rejects GM Food Labeling Measure
- Scientists Discover Nematode Resistant Wheat
- Chinese Scientists Study Implications of Low Level Presence of GM Products
- Pakistan and China Sign MOU on Hybrid Seed Production
- Strawberry Fields to be Fungus-Free
- Philippine Court Orders to Stop Bt Eggplant Field Trials
- GM Purple Tomato Better Tasting, Lasts Longer
- Scientists Identify Plants' Signaling Mechanism to Warn Danger
-
Research Highlights
- Scientists Find a Gene for Boosting Plant Pest Resistance
- ISU Researchers Retarget Bt Toxin Against Hemipteran Insect Pests
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Scientists Sequence Genome of the Christmas Tree
- EFSA Outlines Procedures for Assessment of GM Animals
-
Announcements
- Agriculture & Food Security Anniversary
- 7th International Rice Genetics Symposium
-
Resources
- ISAAA Brief 44 Infographic
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (November 27, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (November 27, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet