We highlight a promising strategy for engineering plants to achieve a level of durable resistance of crops to phytoplasmas.” “Our findings cast new light on a molecular mechanism behind this extended phenotype in a way that could help solve a major problem for food production. Professor Saskia Hogenhout, corresponding author of the study said: “Phytoplasmas are a spectacular example of how the reach of genes can extend beyond the organisms to impact surrounding environments. Phytoplasma bacteria can also cause devastating crop disease, such as Aster Yellows which causes significant yield losses in both grain and leaf crops like lettuce, carrots, and cereals. These bushy outgrowths are the result of the plant being stuck in a vegetative “zombie” state, unable to reproduce and therefore progress to a ‘forever young’ status. This group of bacteria are often responsible for the ‘witches’ brooms’ seen in trees, where an excessive number of branches grow close together. Phytoplasma bacteria belong to a group of microbes that are notorious for their ability to reprogram the development of their host plants. When inside a plant, this protein causes key growth regulators to be broken down, triggering abnormal growth. Research from the Hogenhout group at the John Innes Centre and collaborators published in Cell, has identified a manipulation molecule produced by Phytoplasma bacteria to hijack plant development.
Until now, there’s been little understanding of how this happens on a molecular and mechanistic level.
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