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Soy-based adhesive
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able to apply to the health minister to become exempt from marijuana possession laws. The Canadian-based Prairie Plant Systems obtained the five-year contract, beating 33 other corporations vying for the award. [Waikato Times (Hamilton), New Zealand Press Association, 27 December 2000; Warn, K. (2000) Financial Times (London), 23 December, p. 6.] TS
Morning glory Guttation, non-transpirational extrusion of water from aerial parts of plants, which gives rise to the ‘dew-drops’ at leaf-tips in the morning, might supply a hitherto untapped rich vein of pharmaceuticals. Ilya Ruskin and colleagues [Plant Physiol. (2000) 124, 927–933] have shown that the guttation fluid from genetically engineered tobacco plants contains proteins from the foreign genes. This finding paves the way for harvesting such dew-drops as a source of proteins, such as vaccines, that is already concentrated and purified, in much the same way that rubber is repeatedly tapped from rubber trees. NC
Little green Martians scientists can grow vegetables in soil from Mars Michael Mautner (Lincoln University, New Zealand) headed the research team that grew asparagus and potato plants on soil samples taken from Martian meteorites. The soil is high in phosphorus and one sample had a soil fertility profile similar to the soil on Earth. The meteorites landed in the Sahara Desert and Australia thousands of years ago. It is unlikely that plants will grow on Mars anytime in the near future because the temperature is rarely warmer than −60°C. [Burke, J. (2000) The Observer, 24 December, p. 9; Birmingham Evening Mail, 21 December 2000, p. 7.] TS
Red fluorescent protein One of the many useful cell biological techniques of the past few years has been the development of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter for gene activity, in which the gene of interest and the GFP gene are expressed together. Thus, the appearance of GFP fluorescence can be used to visualize both the expression of the other gene and its cellular location. Although GFP variants exist with different emission wavelengths, more variety is needed to permit multi-fluorescent imaging, or to overcome problems of
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.3 March 2001
inherent tissue fluorescence. The recent publication of the atomic resolution structure of red fluorescent protein (RFP) by Mark Wall and colleagues [Nat. Struct. Biol. (2000) 7, 1133–1138] should permit engineering of its fluorescent properties so that FPs can be even more useful as gene-reporters. NC
Coral, a colorful and practical symbiosis
Glow and tell Wouldn’t it be useful if plants could talk to us? Thanks to Anthony Trewavas and his team at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) that goal has moved a step closer with the development of potatoes that can tell us when they are suffering drought. The transgenic potatoes incorporate a GFP (green fluorescent protein)-fusion protein that is formed under conditions of dehydration, and whose production can be monitored by the green glow produced by the leaves. Just a few of these sentry plants are enough to monitor a large field of potatoes and help to ensure that the crop is sufficiently irrigated to give a decent yield. [Kendall, P. (2001) Daily Mail (UK), 18 December.] NC
Little GM segregation from US farmers Lobophyllia sp. Courtesy of Anya Salih.
Excess sunlight is harmful for plants because it can damage the delicate photosynthetic pigments and eventually lead to death. The upper parts of coral reefs are one environment where high light intensity is experienced. Anya Salih and colleagues [Nature (2000) 408, 850–853] have identified the ability of photosynthetic coral’s algal partner to survive such damaging light levels. In a pleasingly symbiotic way, their work suggests that fluorescent pigments in the animal host, which are similar to green fluorescent protein (GFP), protect the delicate algal pigments by filtering out damaging UV-A and excessive photosynthetically active radiation. NC
Soy-based adhesive A new soy-based plywood adhesive will benefit the plywood industry by speeding production and lowering costs. Currently, the addition of animal blood protein to adhesives reduces the amount of resin necessary to produce plywood. Animal blood’s limited supply and health concerns prompted researchers at USDA-ARS Plant Polymer Research Unit to create a substitute. The new glue contains 3.5–5.5% soy flour mixed with resin. Mila Hojilla-Evangelista, ARS research associate (Peoria, IL, USA), stated that the new glue is beneficial because ‘it requires less drying time, uses less water, and produces less waste than conventional plywood glues.’ (http://www.ars.usda.gov/ is/AR/archive/jan01/soy0101.htm) TS
In a recent survey from Reuters, only 20% of US farmers questioned said that they plan to segregate GM from non-GM crops during the 2001 season. The remaining 80% of the 400 farmers surveyed said that they would not be investing in testing kits, equipment or storage facilities to isolate their biotech crops. The survey comes at a time when America’s biggest farm importers, Japan and Europe, are increasingly pressuring US grain exporters to test crop shipments for GM contamination. [Reuters, 11 January, 2001.] TS
Nuts to the fuel crisis Problems associated with use of fossil fuels have prompted considerable interest in ‘new’ sources of energy, particularly biomass. Work by Adnan Midilli and co-workers suggest that hazelnut (Corylus avellana) could provide an environmentally responsible (and renewable) alternative fuel source [Int. J. Hydrogen Energy (2000) 26, 29–37]. The combustion gases produced by incineration of hazelnut shells contain 15% hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity. [New Sci. (2000) 168, 12.] NC
Self-defense for potatoes Self-help is a virtue that might soon extend to potatoes in protecting themselves from the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which causes ‘early dying’ disease. Ai-Guo Gao and colleagues [Nat. Biotechnol. (2000) 18, 1307–1310] have successfully expressed an alfalfa anti-fungal peptide gene in potato. The
http://plants.trends.com 1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
News & Comment
able to apply to the health minister to become exempt from marijuana possession laws. The Canadian-based Prairie Plant Systems obtained the five-year contract, beating 33 other corporations vying for the award. [Waikato Times (Hamilton), New Zealand Press Association, 27 December 2000; Warn, K. (2000) Financial Times (London), 23 December, p. 6.] TS
Morning glory Guttation, non-transpirational extrusion of water from aerial parts of plants, which gives rise to the ‘dew-drops’ at leaf-tips in the morning, might supply a hitherto untapped rich vein of pharmaceuticals. Ilya Ruskin and colleagues [Plant Physiol. (2000) 124, 927–933] have shown that the guttation fluid from genetically engineered tobacco plants contains proteins from the foreign genes. This finding paves the way for harvesting such dew-drops as a source of proteins, such as vaccines, that is already concentrated and purified, in much the same way that rubber is repeatedly tapped from rubber trees. NC
Little green Martians scientists can grow vegetables in soil from Mars Michael Mautner (Lincoln University, New Zealand) headed the research team that grew asparagus and potato plants on soil samples taken from Martian meteorites. The soil is high in phosphorus and one sample had a soil fertility profile similar to the soil on Earth. The meteorites landed in the Sahara Desert and Australia thousands of years ago. It is unlikely that plants will grow on Mars anytime in the near future because the temperature is rarely warmer than −60°C. [Burke, J. (2000) The Observer, 24 December, p. 9; Birmingham Evening Mail, 21 December 2000, p. 7.] TS
Red fluorescent protein One of the many useful cell biological techniques of the past few years has been the development of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter for gene activity, in which the gene of interest and the GFP gene are expressed together. Thus, the appearance of GFP fluorescence can be used to visualize both the expression of the other gene and its cellular location. Although GFP variants exist with different emission wavelengths, more variety is needed to permit multi-fluorescent imaging, or to overcome problems of
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.3 March 2001
inherent tissue fluorescence. The recent publication of the atomic resolution structure of red fluorescent protein (RFP) by Mark Wall and colleagues [Nat. Struct. Biol. (2000) 7, 1133–1138] should permit engineering of its fluorescent properties so that FPs can be even more useful as gene-reporters. NC
Coral, a colorful and practical symbiosis
Glow and tell Wouldn’t it be useful if plants could talk to us? Thanks to Anthony Trewavas and his team at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) that goal has moved a step closer with the development of potatoes that can tell us when they are suffering drought. The transgenic potatoes incorporate a GFP (green fluorescent protein)-fusion protein that is formed under conditions of dehydration, and whose production can be monitored by the green glow produced by the leaves. Just a few of these sentry plants are enough to monitor a large field of potatoes and help to ensure that the crop is sufficiently irrigated to give a decent yield. [Kendall, P. (2001) Daily Mail (UK), 18 December.] NC
Little GM segregation from US farmers Lobophyllia sp. Courtesy of Anya Salih.
Excess sunlight is harmful for plants because it can damage the delicate photosynthetic pigments and eventually lead to death. The upper parts of coral reefs are one environment where high light intensity is experienced. Anya Salih and colleagues [Nature (2000) 408, 850–853] have identified the ability of photosynthetic coral’s algal partner to survive such damaging light levels. In a pleasingly symbiotic way, their work suggests that fluorescent pigments in the animal host, which are similar to green fluorescent protein (GFP), protect the delicate algal pigments by filtering out damaging UV-A and excessive photosynthetically active radiation. NC
Soy-based adhesive A new soy-based plywood adhesive will benefit the plywood industry by speeding production and lowering costs. Currently, the addition of animal blood protein to adhesives reduces the amount of resin necessary to produce plywood. Animal blood’s limited supply and health concerns prompted researchers at USDA-ARS Plant Polymer Research Unit to create a substitute. The new glue contains 3.5–5.5% soy flour mixed with resin. Mila Hojilla-Evangelista, ARS research associate (Peoria, IL, USA), stated that the new glue is beneficial because ‘it requires less drying time, uses less water, and produces less waste than conventional plywood glues.’ (http://www.ars.usda.gov/ is/AR/archive/jan01/soy0101.htm) TS
In a recent survey from Reuters, only 20% of US farmers questioned said that they plan to segregate GM from non-GM crops during the 2001 season. The remaining 80% of the 400 farmers surveyed said that they would not be investing in testing kits, equipment or storage facilities to isolate their biotech crops. The survey comes at a time when America’s biggest farm importers, Japan and Europe, are increasingly pressuring US grain exporters to test crop shipments for GM contamination. [Reuters, 11 January, 2001.] TS
Nuts to the fuel crisis Problems associated with use of fossil fuels have prompted considerable interest in ‘new’ sources of energy, particularly biomass. Work by Adnan Midilli and co-workers suggest that hazelnut (Corylus avellana) could provide an environmentally responsible (and renewable) alternative fuel source [Int. J. Hydrogen Energy (2000) 26, 29–37]. The combustion gases produced by incineration of hazelnut shells contain 15% hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity. [New Sci. (2000) 168, 12.] NC
Self-defense for potatoes Self-help is a virtue that might soon extend to potatoes in protecting themselves from the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which causes ‘early dying’ disease. Ai-Guo Gao and colleagues [Nat. Biotechnol. (2000) 18, 1307–1310] have successfully expressed an alfalfa anti-fungal peptide gene in potato. The
http://plants.trends.com 1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.