PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Biologists unlocking the secrets of plant defenses, 1 piece at a time

2012-12-06
(Press-News.org) Researchers examining how the hormone jasmonate works to protect plants and promote their growth have revealed how a transcriptional repressor of the jasmonate signaling pathway makes its way into the nucleus of the plant cell. They hope the recently published discovery will eventually help farmers experience better crop yields with less use of potentially harmful chemicals. "This is a small piece of a bigger picture, but it is a very important piece," said Maeli Melotto, a University of Texas at Arlington assistant professor of biology. Melotto recently co-authored a paper that advances current understanding of plant defense mechanisms with her collaborator Sheng Yang He and his team at Michigan State University's Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory (DOE-PRL). He is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation investigator. A paper on the collaboration was published online Nov. 19 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences under the title, "Transcription factor-dependent nuclear import of transcriptional repressor in jasmonate hormone signaling." Jasmonate signaling has been a target of intense research because of its important role in maintaining the balance between plant growth and defense. In healthy plants, jasmonates play a role in reproductive development and growth responses. But, when stressors such as herbivorous insects, pathogen attack, or drought, jasmonate signaling shifts to defense-related cellular processes. The team from UT Arlington and Michigan State focused on the role of jasmonate signaling repressors referred to as JAZ. Specifically, they looked at how JAZ interacts with a major transcription factor called MYC2 and a protein called COI1, which is a receptor necessary for jasmonate signaling. The researchers discovered that a physical interaction between the repressors and the MYC2 persisted inside the plant cell nucleus, preventing jasmonate-associated gene transcription. "This tight repression of transcription factors may be important because activation of jasmonate signaling, although important for plant defense against pathogens and insects, is energy-consuming and could lead to growth inhibition – a widely known phenomenon called growth-defense tradeoff," said He, the Michigan State plant biologist. "In other words, plants have developed a mechanism to tightly repress presumably energy-consuming, jasmonate-mediated defense responses until it becomes necessary, such as upon pathogen and insect attacks." The National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funded the work featured in the recent paper. Melotto said understanding jasmonate signaling at the molecular level is also vital because some plant pathogens, such as Pseudomonas syringae, have developed ways to mimic the hormone's action in the cell. This gives them the ability to aggressively colonize plants without activating natural defense mechanisms, she said. Melotto, who is currently receiving National Institutes of Health funding to examine plant defenses, said the next step in her jasmonate research is to determine which domain of the JAZ protein is responsible for plant innate immunity. "This is one way to have sustainable agriculture," Melotto said of the research. "By increasing genetic resistance we could reduce the use of pesticides, decrease crop production costs and promote environmentally friendly farming practices." ### Melotto's work with Michigan State University is an example of the collaborative research going on at UT Arlington, a comprehensive research institution of more than 33,200 students and more than 2,200 faculty members in the heart of North Texas. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Military/Veteran Medical Malpractice Claims Are An Uphill Battle

2012-12-06
Military/Veteran medical malpractice claims are an uphill battle Some of the highest courts in the land -- the United States Supreme Court among them -- will soon be hearing cases involving the niche area of military malpractice claims. Military physicians usually enjoy "sovereign immunity" (essentially making them immune from many types of lawsuits) in their capacity as physicians working for the government. These cases do not argue the validity of sovereign immunity, but instead question its applicability in even the most egregious military medical malpractice ...

Could Patient Photos Reduce Serious Medical Errors?

2012-12-06
Could patient photos reduce serious medical errors? A study by researchers at a Colorado hospital found that including photos in patients' electronic medical records helps reduce serious medical mistakes known as "wrong-patient errors." Implementing electronic record systems with photos at hospitals across the country may help improve the national rate of serious medical errors. Researchers find using a photo drastically reduces number of errors In 2009, Children's Hospital Colorado found that misplaced orders in electronic files was the second-most common ...

Potential Pitfalls When Keeping The Home After Divorce

2012-12-06
Potential pitfalls when keeping the home after divorce One of the most common disagreements among divorcing couples, along with issues of child custody and alimony, is who gets to keep the house. While it is perfectly understandable to be reluctant to give up one's home, people going through divorce should be aware of some hidden costs they may not be expecting if they decide to keep the house. Maintenance and repair costs One common unexpected pitfall occurs when the spouse who keeps the home has not accurately estimated the monthly expenses involved in maintaining ...

How Will Divorce Affect My Business In Colorado?

2012-12-06
How will divorce affect my business in Colorado? For many people going through a divorce, one of the most difficult steps in the divorce process is dividing up shared property such as the family home, vehicles, savings accounts and other valuables. When one or both spouses are business owners, the property division process can become even more complicated and potentially volatile. Business owners in Colorado should be aware of how their business assets may be treated in the event of divorce and take steps to protect them in case such a situation should arise. Division ...

Prenuptial And Postnuptial Agreements On The Rise

2012-12-06
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements on the rise To love, honor, and keep all property separate? With divorce rates continuing to hover around 50 percent throughout the country, more and more couples are using contracts to outline what assets belong to which spouse. Some are using agreements set up prior to the wedding, called a prenuptial agreement, while others are outlining the terms after the wedding, called a postnuptial agreement. These contracts can help ease financial stress between couples by clearly outlining how assets will be split if the marriage fails. Although ...

Divorce And Insurance: Knowing How It Is Split Can Help Save Headaches

2012-12-06
Divorce and insurance: knowing how it is split can help save headaches Divorce is difficult for every couple. Couples must come to terms with the fact that a romantic relationship is ending while also dealing with how assets will be split. In addition to balancing these issues, couples should also keep in mind that their insurance will likely be impacted by the divorce. First and foremost, it is important to know that once a Petitioner for Marital Dissolution (a divorce) is filed in California, the party who filed it (the Petitioner) may not cancel or change the beneficiaries ...

Texas Lawmakers Try Again To Ban Texting While Driving

2012-12-06
Texas lawmakers try again to ban texting while driving If some Texas lawmakers have their way, texting while driving will soon become illegal in Texas. Former Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick recently filed legislation that would do just that. Texas lawmakers passed a similar ban on texting two years ago. However, Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the bill. Perry said that texting while driving "is reckless and irresponsible" but that he saw the bill as "a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults." The proposed law is named in honor of Alex Brown ...

Common Mistakes Parents Make With Children After Divorce

2012-12-06
Common Mistakes Parents Make With Children After Divorce Divorce can be an emotional and difficult procedure, especially when children are involved. Unfortunately, because of this, and because people may not know what to look out for, sometimes mistakes are made along the way. Learning what mistakes parents often make after their divorce and child custody cases can help them recognize and avoid those mistakes and work toward the best possible outcome for their family. The Insight of Teachers Teachers are in a unique position to observe the effects of a divorce ...

Legal Obstacles for Indiana's Temporary Employees

2012-12-06
Legal obstacles for Indiana's temporary employees As the economy continues its slow recovery from the Great Recession, employers in Indiana and around the nation are relying more heavily than usual on temporary workers. While business is gradually improving for many employers, some are not yet willing to commit to taking on new fulltime employees, choosing to rely on contractors and temps instead. With the 2012 winter holidays fast approaching, Indiana's temporary and seasonal workforce is likely to grow even larger to accommodate the annual retail boom. And, in some ...

Health Insurance and Social Security After a Massachusetts Divorce

2012-12-06
Health Insurance and Social Security After a Massachusetts Divorce Divorce can bring a myriad of changes to a person's life. People trying to adjust to their new lives as singles may not realize all of the details to which they will have to attend as a result of divorce. For instance, they may not consider the impact that divorcecan have on health insurance eligibility and Social Security benefits. Health Insurance Options Massachusetts law requires insurance companies to allow ex-spouses to remain on employer-sponsored health insurance plans after divorce. If ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Beyond the surface: Atopic eczema linked to significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts, major study finds

After weight loss regular exercise rather than GLP-1 weight-loss drug reduces leading cause of heart attack and strokes

EASD launches its first ever clinical practice guideline – the world’s first to focus on diabetes distress

Semaglutide provides powerful protection against diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, Greek study suggests

Orforglipron taken orally once daily leads to significant body weight loss (ATTAIN-1 Study)

U of I researchers trace genetic code’s origins to early protein structures

Disease experts team up with Florida Museum of Natural History to create a forecast for West Nile virus

Researchers: Targeted efforts needed to stem fentanyl crisis

New UMaine research could help lower prescription drug costs

Molecular movie shows how mitochondria read their DNA

Loss of key male fertility gene leads to changes in expression of hundreds of other genes

Water’s density is key to sustainable lithium mining

Pioneering research reveals problem gambling quadruples the risk of suicide among young people four years later

New method improves the accuracy of machine-learned potentials for simulating catalysts

Astronomers discover rare Einstein cross with fifth image, revealing hidden dark matter

UCalgary researchers show brain shunts significantly benefit older adults with hydrocephalus

UCalgary researchers pursue new approach to manage deadly lung scarring

Psychotherapy can be readily integrated into brief “med-check” psychiatry visits

‘Wiggling’ atoms may lead to smaller, more efficient electronics

Alliance webinar highlights latest advances in cancer treatment

Climate change could drastically reduce aquifer recharge in Brazil

$1.7M DOD grant funds virtual cancer center to support research into military health

Brain organoids could unlock energy-efficient AI

AI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies, Stanford Medicine study finds

Shared genetic mechanisms underpin social life in bees and humans

Prescribed opioid pain medications during pregnancy likely aren’t associated with increased risk of autism, ADHD

Sustainable, plant-based diet benefits both human and planetary health

IU researchers find that opioid pain meds prescribed during pregnancy do not cause increased risk of autism or ADHD

Holocaust testimony is AI litmus test, and it fails

Preventing corruption in the lymph nodes

[Press-News.org] Biologists unlocking the secrets of plant defenses, 1 piece at a time