Accelerated aging: Wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, top row, compared to the plant with a mutation.
Resistance to disease should mean a longer life, but researchers have found that a mutant protein that helps a plant fight mildew might make it age sooner.
The Osaka Metropolitan University research team of Graduate School of Agriculture student Tomoko Matsumoto and Professor Noriko Inada and Graduate School of Science Professor Koichi Kobayashi discovered that thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants with the mutant Actin Depolymerizing Factor protein turn yellow sooner over time and in dark conditions compared to wild-type thale cress.
“ADFs are involved not only in leaf aging but also in disease response and plant growth control,” Professor Inada explained. “Further elucidation of the function of ADFs can help contribute to crop yield improvement and enhanced sustainability of agricultural production.”
Conflict of Interest
None declared.
###
About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through the “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
