mRNA transfer between cells reveals novel intercellular communication pathway
Cell-to-cell communication is essential throughout all forms and stages of life, and many communication mechanisms are well studied. However, over the past few years, scientists have found increasing evidence that RNA, which carries genetic information and regulates gene expression, is also involved in intercellular communication.
RNA editing plays critical role in fruit flies' sense of smell and social interactions
Imagine your DNA as a set of instructions or a recipe book that tells your body how to make everything it needs to function, from proteins to cells. Every time the body needs to build something, it reads these instructions. But sometimes, the body can make small edits to these instructions—this is where RNA editing comes in.
How plants become bushy, or not: New study sheds light on hormone that controls branching
For many plants, more branches means more fruit. But what causes a plant to grow branches? New research from the University of California, Davis shows how plants break down the hormone strigolactone, which suppresses branching, to become more "bushy." Understanding how strigolactone is regulated could have big implications for many crop plants.
The aroma of tomato resistance—discovery of a new compound to protect from bacteria and drought
In a recent study published on the cover of the Plant Physiology journal, the IBMCP team has identified a new volatile compound—alpha-terpineol—that effectively protects plants from Pseudomonas syringae. This pathogenic bacterium causes severe damage to various crops. This finding could improve crop protection treatments by providing natural and highly effective plant protection.
Study reveals key role of plant-bacteria communication for assembly of a healthy plant microbiome
In an interdisciplinary study, researchers have discovered that symbiotic bacteria communicate with legume plants through specific molecules and that this communication influences which bacteria grow near the plant roots. The findings provide insights into how plants and soil bacteria form beneficial partnerships for nutrient uptake and resilience. These results are a step towards understanding how communication between plants and soil bacteria can lead to specific beneficial associations providing plants with nutrients.
Surprising role of female sex pheromone in crop pest points to new biocontrol possibilities
INRAE researchers have discovered that female pheromones play a remarkable role in the African cotton moth. In general, these pheromones trigger mate attraction, promoting encounters between males and females during reproductive periods. Astonishingly, the African cotton moth possesses a pheromonal compound whose modulatory effects exceed those of light itself, a discovery that can inform future biocontrol strategies. These results are published in Current Biology.
Ladybug scents offer a more ecologically friendly way to protect crops
The use of pesticides, while beneficial for global food security, wreaks havoc on natural ecosystems and human health. To address this issue, Penn State researchers have turned to an unlikely enforcer to protect crops: the ladybug. The team, led by Sara Hermann in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, developed a novel pest management tool by leveraging the chemical ecology of predator-prey interactions between ladybugs and aphids.
Noxious fumes at night aren't a pollinating moth's delight
Certain plants have flowers that open only in the evening, and depend on nocturnal pollinators such as moths to thrive.
Female mosquitoes found to regulate their own population density at breeding sites using communal cues
When female mosquitoes feed, they don't seem to mind a crowd because lots of carbon dioxide usually means there's food. They were thought to be more solitary, however, when laying eggs. New research has revealed quite the opposite for the deadly Aedes aegypti.
Foul fumes found to pose pollinator problems
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has discovered a major cause for a drop in nighttime pollinator activity—and people are largely to blame.
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