Topic: Biology
Scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute discovered a natural compound that helps plants fight off diseases. The compound, ascaroside 18, primes plant immune systems to respond quickly and effectively to pathogens.
When cold and flu season comes around, we take steps like getting our flu shots and taking immune supplements to strengthen our bodies' defenses against pathogens. Plants face pathogenic threats too.
Plant pathogens can have devastating effects on crop yields, with up to 40% of global food crops lost annually. This has severe implications for food security. But what if we could boost plant immune systems as we do our own and make them better able to withstand or fend off biological threats?
In a study published in Communications Biology, scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) explored this concept. They found that a previously unrecognized natural compound can provide lasting protection against a broad range of plant pathogens. The research investigated a class of nematode pheromones called ascarosides. Nematodes are small worms that live in soil and can be parasites to plants and animals. Ascarosides are simple glycolipids produced by nematodes.
The team, led by professor emeritus Dan Klessig and professor Frank Schroeder of BTI, together with former BTI postdoc Dr. Murli Manohar and Uwe Conrath, professor at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, showed that ascarosides can affect plant immunity.
One ascaroside in particular stood out for its ability to activate hallmarks of plant defense responses: ascaroside 18 (ascr#18). Recognition of ascr#18 granted plants a slightly heightened state of immune vigilance and increased their resistance to bacterial, viral, fungal and nematode pathogens.
But it wasn't simply a preemptive immune response. As Klessig explained, 'When a plant mounts a full immune response, there's a fitness cost. It shifts its energy away from growth and development to focus on fighting the pathogen.'
With ascr#18 treatment, they didn't see that. Ascr#18 doesn't induce a full immune response but instead signals the plants to get ready, so that they can respond to pathogens more quickly and robustly.
This concept is called immune priming and is reminiscent of how vaccines prepare our immune system for rapid responses to specific pathogens.
Why It Matters
This discovery could lead to new ways to protect crops from diseases, which would have a significant impact on food security in India. With over 60% of Indians relying on agriculture for their livelihoods, any innovation that can improve crop yields and reduce losses due to disease is crucial.
Key Facts
- Scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute discovered a natural compound called ascaroside 18 that helps plants fight off diseases.
- The compound primes plant immune systems to respond quickly and effectively to pathogens, reducing the fitness cost of full immune responses.
- This concept is called immune priming and is reminiscent of how vaccines prepare our immune system for rapid responses to specific pathogens.
- The research was published in Communications Biology and has significant implications for food security.
- Up to 40% of global food crops are lost annually due to plant pathogens, which has severe implications for food security.
Key Terms
- Nematodes
- Small worms that live in soil and can be parasites to plants and animals
- Ascarosides
- Simple glycolipids produced by nematodes that affect plant immunity
- Immune priming
- A concept where a compound signals the plants to get ready, so that they can respond to pathogens more quickly and robustly
Implications
This discovery could lead to new ways to protect crops from diseases, which would have a significant impact on food security in India. With over 60% of Indians relying on agriculture for their livelihoods, any innovation that can improve crop yields and reduce losses due to disease is crucial.
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