Louvain, Belgium
August 1, 2007
Our crops are not doing well these
days: too much water, too little sunlight... In short, they are
suffering from stress. Scientists from
VIB, the Flanders Institute for
Biotechnology, associated with the
Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven (K.U.Leuven), have revealed a new mechanism
demonstrating the intricate ways in which plants deal with
stress. The newly discovered control system has a remarkable way
of orchestrating the activity of hundreds of genes, forcing the
plant into ‘safety mode;’ the consumption of energy is contained
while the organism is stimulated to mobilize reserves. This may
have a negative impact on growth, but it allows the plant to
temporarily safeguard itself against pernicious stress
conditions. These findings also may prove to be useful beyond
the case of plants, for the results are likely to be valuable in
understanding disorders such as cancer and diabetes.
Life thanks to plants
Plants catch sunlight and use it as an energy source to produce
sugars from CO2 and water. In doing so, they are at the very
basis of the food chain. Ultimately, all life on earth depends
upon this biochemical process: photosynthesis. Without plants,
life as we know it today would simply not be possible. But what
if things go wrong? When there is too little sunlight, for
example? And what with other stressful conditions for plants?
Environmental changes can compromise photosynthesis and exhaust
energy supplies.
Plants control their own energy balance
Fortunately, plants have developed different mechanisms to
detect and cope with 'stress.' Together with his American
colleagues at Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), VIB
scientist Filip Rolland, associated with the Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven, is uncovering a new system of detection and
control. It is driven by KIN10 and KIN11. These ‘kinases’ –
which are also found in human beings – react to energy
shortages, when, for example, there is too little sunlight or
too little sugar production. They control the activity of a
broad network of genes, promoting the release of energy
(catabolism) from alternative sources and blocking its
assimilation (anabolism). In this way, the plant protects itself
against stress conditions; like a really bad summer.
The key players: KIN10 & KIN11
The model organism for this study was Arabidopsis thaliana or
thale cress. For decades, this small weed has been used as a
model in molecular and genetic plant research. The scientists
have tested numerous stress conditions that affect
photosynthesis and energy production, such as darkness,
herbicide treatment and flooding (lack of oxygen). By
overexpressing the KIN10 gene, causing the plant to produce more
of this protein, stress tolerance is increased and plants
survive longer. By switching off these genes, their control
function is eliminated.
With this research, the Flemish and American scientists have
succeeded for the first time in attributing KIN10 and KIN11 a
key role in the control of the plant energy budget and
metabolism and thus the fragile balance between growth and
survival; in short, the choice between life and death.
Are humans similar to plants?
The new insights gained by this study are not limited to the
functioning of plants; they may also be important for human
beings. KIN10 and KIN11, as ’fuel gauges’ controlling the
expression of a whole set of genes, are also found in mammals.
The results with plants, therefore, may play a pioneering role
in discovering new functions of these proteins in disorders such
as diabetes, cancer, obesitas, and aging.
Relevant scientific publication
The research findings are published in the leading scientific
journal Nature (Baena-González et al., A central integrator of
transcription networks in plant stress and energy signalling,
Nature, 2007).
VIB, the Flanders Institute for
Biotechnology, is a non-profit research institute in life
sciences. About 1000 scientists and technicians conduct
strategic basic research on the molecular mechanisms that are
responsible for the functioning of the human body, plants, and
micro-organisms. Through a close partnership with four Flemish
universities − UGent, K.U.Leuven, University of Antwerp, and
Vrije Universiteit Brussel − and a solid funding program, VIB
unites the forces of 65 research groups in a single institute.
The goal of the research is to extend the boundaries of our
knowledge profoundly. Through its technology transfer
activities, VIB strives to convert the research results into
products for the benefit of consumers and patients. VIB develops
and disseminates a wide range of scientifically substantiated
information about all aspects of biotechnology. |
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