REVEALING MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF GRAFTING TECHNIQUES-PLANT PARASITES

Aishila Kar, Amity University Kolkata

Plant parasitism is an occurrence by which the parasite plant latches onto and soak up water and nutrients from another host plant, with the help of an organ called the “haustorium.” Once the haustorium forms, specific enzymes then help in setting up a relationship between the tissues of the parasite and host plants, called “xylem bridge,” 

The same mechanism is involved in the activity of artificial stem grafting, during which, the cell walls of the two unlike plant tissues at the graft junction become narrow and compressed, this is happening by specific cell wall modifying enzymes.

As a result, the research team, conduct by Dr Ken-ichi Kurotani of Nagoya University, assumed that the same genes and enzymes should take part in the process of parasitism and cross-species grafting. Dr. Kurotani reports that to investigate molecular events involved in cell-cell adhesion between P. japonicum and the host plant, they analyzed the transcriptome for P. japonicum-Arabidopsis parasitism and P. japonicum – Arabidopsis grafting. The findings of their tests are published in Nature’s Communications Biology.

In contrast of the parasitism and graft transcriptomes let out that genes related with wound healing, cell division, DNA replication, and RNA synthesis were highly upregulated during both cases, shows active cell proliferation at both the haustorium and graft interface.

Dr Michitaka Notaguchi reports that they found an overlap between the transcriptome data from this study and that from grafting between Nicotiana and Arabidopsis, another angiosperm. Glycosyl hydrolases are enzymes that target the breakdown of cellulose, the primary component of plant cell walls.

In further experiments appeared that GH9B3-silenced P. japonicum could establish the haustorium with Arabidopsis but could not establish a functional xylem bridge. Further, high GH9B3 RNA transcript levels were seen during artificial grafting experiments, thereby proving that the enzyme plays an essential role in both two parasitism and grafting mechanisms.

Additionally, further research along will help scientists to develop a specific molecular approach to arrive at sustainable cross-species grafting alternatives.

Also read: AstraZeneca: Late-stage trial of Covid-19 antibody medicine to start soon

Source- Materials provided by Nagoya University.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201010135507.htm

• The Corrosion Prediction from the Corrosion Product Performance
• Nitrogen Resilience in Waterlogged Soybean plants
• Cell Senescence in Type II Diabetes: Therapeutic Potential
• Transgene-Free Canker-Resistant Citrus sinensis with Cas12/RNP
• AI Literacy in Early Childhood Education: Challenges and Opportunities