When plants are cut they
clot at the site of the wound just like humans, but how they do it is has been
a mystery until now. Two researchers have uncovered the enzymes that produce
this response. In the picture above are plasmodesmal channels on a leaf of the Arabidopsis plant, a member
of the cabbage family. Fluorescence imaging shows callose deposits, which close
off the channel when cut. University of
Delaware researchers have identified two novel molecular players necessary to
regulate plasmodesmata under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. This
discovery shines light on what is considered one of the mysteries of plant
biology and a fundamental structure essential for plant survival and body
formation.
I believe this article
got across its point very clearly but was not a very good representation of
three long years of research done by the actual study’s author. However, this
discovery will help to develop enzymes that could help the clotting process
even more. Now that we know what actually happens, we can make this process
stronger and more efficient to better protect plants against new and worsening
threats. The drastic weather changes day to day this season have shocked and
destroyed a large amount of plants but with a stronger clotting and callose
system, these plants may have had a better chance against the changing
environment. Hopefully this research will lead to more breakthroughs in plant
biology and will help us to understand more processes in the botanical system.
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