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Researchers at Edinburgh University recently published findings into the discovery of a new gene that helps plants to control their response to disease.
The findings suggest that future research into fine-tuning this gene’s activity could boost disease resistance and assist in developing more resilient crop breeds or new treatments to infections.
Nitric oxide triggers SRG1 activity
The team used a cress plant and Arabidopsis thaliana to study the mechanism of plant’s response to bacteria and viruses.
When the plants came under attack by viruses and bacteria, they responded by producing small amounts of nitric oxide gas.
This gas accumulated in the plant cells and triggered a response from the plant’s immune system.
They found that a previously unknown gene – called SRG1 – was rapidly activated by nitric oxide and was also triggered during bacterial infection.
SRG1 is a positive regulator of plant immunity
Key regulator
Further investigation revealed that increasing SRG1 ramps up the plant’s immune response by reducing the activity of genes that normally suppress it.
The researchers showed that tweaking SRG1 led to greater resistance to infection through the production of more defensive proteins.
They also found that nitric oxide regulates the immune response, ensuring the plant’s defence system does not overreact.
Presence of similar mechanism in other species
The researchers conclude by stating that similar mechanisms are likely to be found in many other species, and their findings could enable insights into fundamental processes that underlie immune regulation.
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