Biotech Updates

UK Researchers Find a Key to Plant Disease Resistance

April 1, 2011

Glycerol-3-phosphate, could be the key mobile regulator of systemic immunity. This was the findings of University of Kentucky College of Agriculture researchers led by Pradeep Kachroo and Aardra Kachroo. The paper was published online in Nature Genetics and detailed the pioneering studies conducted.

The scientists were able to identify the metabolite glycerol-3-phosphate through experiments with soybeans and Arabidopsis thaliana. The metabolite is transformed into a compound and uses the protein DIR1 to signal systemic immunity. As the plant is inoculated with a disease-causing pathogen, the metabolite levels increase and a cascade of resistance mechanism ensues.

For more on this news, see the original article at  http://www.ca.uky.edu/news/?c=n&d=820