Biologists have found a rare gene that is responsible for the immune system of plants

Scientists at PRoTECT, a project that studies plants to address critical threats, have explored the molecular

small flowering immune system mechanismsplant known as the thaliana (Arabidopsis thaliana). PRoTECT is an International Research Training Group (IRTG) founded in 2016 jointly with the University of Göttingen and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The goal of the study is to identify and describe a specific gene in a particularly disease-resistant plant. Scientists have noticed that plants that do not possess the previously little-known glycosyltransferase UGT76B1 gene accumulate active acids. In addition, they demonstrate significantly increased resistance to pathogens. However, this resistance is accompanied by extremely slow growth.

The leaf material serves as the basis for the analysis of metabolites. Credit: Philip William Niemeyer.

“We managed to decipher the molecular connectionbetween gene product and acid inactivation during normal plant growth, ”explains Prof. Ivo Feussner of the Göttingen Center for Molecular Biological Sciences (GZMB). Understanding this interaction provides scientists with a promising approach to increasing the natural resilience of crops. Research results, for example, can be used to help breeders isolate less susceptible plants. This will improve food security and reduce the use of pesticides.

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