Researchers Identify Proteins that Block Invading Microbes

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, University of California (UC) Davis and UC Berkeley identified a group of proteins that plays important roles in the biochemical mechanisms that enable plants to recognize and block out invading bacteria. Unlike animals, plants don't develop immunity as they are exposed to various microbes. Instead they use certain built-in cells and genetically programmed systems to protect themselves against microbial invasion and related diseases. Up until now, scientists had identified only one protein, known as RIN4, that is able to regulate plant defense systems.

Gitta Coaker and colleagues, while studying the RIN4, were able to identify six previously uncharacterized proteins that can associate with RIN4 inside plant cells. One protein, called AHA1, was characterized in-depth and found to be key to the immune response in Arabidopsis plants.

The scientists found that AHA1can act to regulate the opening and closing of pores called stomata. These pores allow gasses and water to pass in and out of the leaf. They also allow bacteria and other invading microbes to gain entrance to the plant.

Read the original story at http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9149 The paper published by PLoS Biology is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1000139