An important cog in the molecular machinery of plant immunity discovered by researchers could help ensure food security.
The cog could help develop disease-resistant varieties in crops ensuring quality and quantity of products. It could also be used in treating immune-related disorders in humans.
Plants’ simple immune system involves a defence mechanism that triggers the death of threatened cells and so remove the food source from the invading viruses.
“NADPH oxidase is really important in plant immunity as well, and we’ve been able to show how it is regulated in a normal immune response. We hope that plant breeders will be able to use this information to develop disease-resistant varieties. Our discovery might also open new opportunities to treat human immune disorders, such as CGD,” researcher Professor Gary Loake said.
Read more at Nature