- Email: [email protected]
Singapore slings plant research
452
News & Comment
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.10 October 2001
In Brief
tomato spotted wilt virus, which induced large necrotic lesions on non-transgenic controls, but was not detectable by ELISA in areas immediately adjacent to the inoculated region of any transgenic leaves. The authors conclude that these dramatic effects on cell-death pathways and DNA laddering are directly attributable to the anti-apoptotic activity of the transgene products, as a loss-of-function mutant responded as non-transgenic controls when challenged with S. sclerotiorum. ‘…DNA laddering…was induced by S. sclerotiorum in susceptible nontransgenic tobacco leaves but not in resistant plants harbouring functional anti-apoptotic transgenes.’ These data strongly suggest that at least some plant pathogens induce disease in plants by activating PCD pathways, and they challenge the view that plant cell death in susceptible interactions is merely the ravaging of defenceless plant tissue by degradative enzymes and toxins. One possibility is that the invading pathogen could commandeer PCD pathways, which when activated in resistant plant responses result in the formation of local lesions, limiting pathogen spread as part of the HR. Interfering with plant PCD pathways might therefore provide a means of generating resistance to necrotrophs in commercial crops. Moreover, the conferral of resistance phenotypes on plants by animal anti-apoptotic proteins suggests a degree of functional overlap between plant and animal PCD processes. This possibility is given further credence by recent evidence in plants for the existence of caspases, a highly conserved family of regulatory cysteine proteases that constitute the enzymatic component of a central tripartite death switch in apoptosis. In view of these parallels, further elucidation of the mode of action of antiapoptotic proteins in animals should provide insight into their cytoprotective effect in plants and inform the dissection of plant PCD pathways. 1 Dickman, M.B. et al. (2001) Abrogation of disease development in plants expressing animal antiapoptotic genes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 6957–6962
Nicola T. Wood [email protected] http://plants.trends.com
Match-making service for research students Are you a student having trouble finding the right PhD project? Are you fed-up searching through dozens of university websites to find the one that is just right for you? A recently launched web site should make the process much more straightforward. FindAPhD.com [http://www.findaphd.com] lists PhD projects in chemical, physical, earth and life sciences and engineering that are available in the UK and Ireland. This free site, which also aims to put postdoctoral researchers in touch with suitable projects, already contains over 2000 entries for life sciences, is continually updated, and is reviewed at http://www.bioview.com/ community/rev.html. NC
Good vibrations
Courtesy of USDA.
Did you know that the vibrations generated by tapping a tomato could be used to judge its firmness, and thus used as a method of grading the fruit? Unfortunately, the irregular internal structure of the tomato means that tapping it at different positions will give different vibrations, which make grading inconsistent. However, Bart de Ketelaere of the Laboratory of Agricultural Machinery and Processing in Leuven (Belgium) has discovered that tapping the tomato at its south pole (the bottom of the fruit) produces the same type of vibration, which ensures consistent grading. [New Sci. 9 June (2001) p. 19] NC
Space harvest Arabidopsis plants grown in space returned to Earth in late July. To explore the possibility of growing vegetables in space, the plants spent three months aboard the International Space Station. Unlike previous experiments, the Arabidopsis
plants grew just as quickly in space. Scientists at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR) will determine whether space-grown plants can complete life cycles and propagate indefinitely. Weijia Zhou, WCSAR’s director, told reporters that space scientists are ‘very anxious to know whether there’s technology to develop a food so that the crew can eat fresh vegetables every day.’ Growing plants in space can lead to unexpected results, such as in 1998, when space-grown roses resulted in a new fragrance because of the zero gravity conditions. [Belsie, L. (2001) The Christian Science Monitor 23 July, p. 2] TS
Patent sprouts controversy A contentious US patent gives the company Brassica Protection Products (BPP) full rights over who can grow broccoli sprouts. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA) discovered that broccoli sprouts have high levels of sulforaphane glucosinolate, an antioxidant that might be useful in cancer prevention. The researchers received a US patent, now licensed by BPP, which gives the company the exclusive right to grow broccoli sprouts, regardless of variety or growth conditions. To date, the company has five lawsuits pending against five non-compliant sprout growers. Jay Louie, president of the International Sprout Growers Association told reporters, ‘The process of growing sprouts is in the public domain.’ Not according to Brigid Quinn spokesperson for the US Patent and Trademark Office, who upheld the patent’s validity. [Dornbusch, J. (2001) The Boston Herald 8 August, p. 47] TS
Singapore slings plant research While just six years old, the future of Singapore’s Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (IMA) remains uncertain. In July, Singapore’s National Science and Technology Board Chairman, Philip Yeo, told reporters at Nature that keeping IMA open is a ‘criminal waste of taxpayer’s money. We [in Singapore] have no agriculture.’ The new appointment of Ho Ching as IMA’s president in November 2000, dispelled rumors suggesting its closure. In the past year, the government made clear that Singapore would
1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
News & Comment
concentrate on human biomedical science at the expense of plant or environmental sciences. Zhang Lian Hui, IMA’s new director defended the institute and spoke of collaborative plans with industry and academia to strengthen IMA’s research capabilities. [Low, E. (2001) The Business Times Singapore 4 August, p. 1] TS
Domesticated pines For thousands of years Man has been domesticating cereal crops. The taming of forest trees is only just beginning. But concerns over the destruction of natural forests (enormous CO2 sinks of considerable importance), the increasing demand for timber, and development of new uses for tree products now provide the necessary impetus to encourage more focused exploitation of this wonderful resource. A welcome boost to that work is the award of US$3 million by the US Dept of Agriculture to forest scientists at North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources for research into the breeding and genetics of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), one of the most economically important tree species. [http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/univ_relations/ news_services/press_releases/01_07/ 197.htm] NC
Stinky blooms A mysterious and unpleasant odor in the northeastern part of the USA might be coming from rotting phytoplankton blooms, so says Oscar Schofield of Rutgers University (NJ, USA), who links the odor with large phytoplankton blooms that reached the coast and rotted on the shore. Satellite photographs show huge blooms all along the coast resulting from wind-driven circulation closer to the shore. These conditions result in what Schofield told reporters is a ‘wall of organic material on the beaches.’ The Coast Guard reported no spills of any material in the region. Schofield and 200 other researchers took routine samples and measurements in the area, and although most acknowledged the beached material could produce the rotting smell, the cause is still unclear. [Smothers, R. (2001) The New York Times 24 July, p. B7] TS
Cholodny–Went now gone? Nothing lasts forever, not even scientific ideas. One idea that has been around for http://plants.trends.com
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.10 October 2001
>70 years is Cholodny–Went’s hypothesis of gravitropism. This proposes that the differential growth characteristic of the gravitropic response is brought about principally by the lateral redistribution of the plant growth regulator, auxin. This view has been challenged by Hans Edelmann [Physiol. Plant. 112 (2001) 119–126]. Edelmann’s model proposes a gravistimulated, temporary inhibition of release of wall-loosening factors on the non-growing side of the organ, which is not dependent upon a redistribution of auxin. Will Cholodny–Went stand the ‘test of time’? Or will its view of gravitropism now fall? NC
Plant smugglers busted An undercover operation resulted in 11 people being charged with smuggling rare orchids and endangered cycads into the USA for commercial purposes. The rare orchids originated from Asia, and some of the accused sent orchids in boxes labeled ‘toys’. Cycads are ancient fern-like shrubs that scientists consider at risk as a result of harmful human activities. The smugglers traded over US$800 000 worth of cycads from Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The importers violated international trade agreements that protect endangered species. To date, officials have arrested only 5 of the 11 defendants; the others are still at large. If charged, the maximum prison sentence is five years. [United Press International 25 July 2001] TS
New direction for transgenic plants Attempts to produce transgenic crops are beset with many technical problems, such as gene silencing (where the transgene is not expressed). Typically, each added gene is driven by its own promoter; and in some instances gene silencing has been linked to the multiple use of the same promoter. A solution to this problem is described by Mingtang Xie and co-workers [Nat. Biotechnol. 19 (2001) 677–679] who show that a single promoter can be used to drive the expression of two genes, which are attached to either end of the promoter. Bi-directional gene-promotion raises hopes of more successful introduction of multiple genes necessary to effect metabolic engineering in plants (and new cause for concern over more widespread introduction of transgenic crops…). NC
453
Carnivorous pine trees?
Recent work [Nature 410 (2001) 651–652] suggests that traditional notions of the calm and peacefulness of a pine forest might need to be re-examined. John Klironomos and Miranda Hart of the University of Guelph (Canada) show that a fungus, Laccaria bicolor, which is ectomycorrhizal on pine (Pinus strobus) can predate on soilliving invertebrates and transfer some of their nitrogen to its host tree. Astonishingly, in some cases, up to 25% of tree nitrogen was derived from the arthropods. If this finding is of general occurrence, commonly held views of forest nutrient-cycling will need to be re-evaluated. NC
Underwater laboratory To understand better why seaweed grows abundantly around Florida’s coral to the coral’s detriment, scientists have set up a laboratory at the bottom of the ocean floor. Aquarius is an 80-ton steel and glass underwater laboratory off Key Largo (FL, USA) that acts as home base for researchers who plan on spending eight to ten hours a day in the water, trying to understand the outgrowth of seaweed. Kevin Beach (University of Tampa, FL, USA), part of the six-member team, told reporters ‘when you see a reef that’s 70% seaweed, it’s a problem. We’re going to look at what’s fertilizing the seaweed and promoting its growth’. [Loft, K. (2001) The Tampa Tribune 30 July, Metro p. 1] TS
All at sea with sunblock Phytoplankton thrive close to the sea’s surface, yet they are exposed to dangerously high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. How do they survive? Scientists at the
1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
News & Comment
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.10 October 2001
In Brief
tomato spotted wilt virus, which induced large necrotic lesions on non-transgenic controls, but was not detectable by ELISA in areas immediately adjacent to the inoculated region of any transgenic leaves. The authors conclude that these dramatic effects on cell-death pathways and DNA laddering are directly attributable to the anti-apoptotic activity of the transgene products, as a loss-of-function mutant responded as non-transgenic controls when challenged with S. sclerotiorum. ‘…DNA laddering…was induced by S. sclerotiorum in susceptible nontransgenic tobacco leaves but not in resistant plants harbouring functional anti-apoptotic transgenes.’ These data strongly suggest that at least some plant pathogens induce disease in plants by activating PCD pathways, and they challenge the view that plant cell death in susceptible interactions is merely the ravaging of defenceless plant tissue by degradative enzymes and toxins. One possibility is that the invading pathogen could commandeer PCD pathways, which when activated in resistant plant responses result in the formation of local lesions, limiting pathogen spread as part of the HR. Interfering with plant PCD pathways might therefore provide a means of generating resistance to necrotrophs in commercial crops. Moreover, the conferral of resistance phenotypes on plants by animal anti-apoptotic proteins suggests a degree of functional overlap between plant and animal PCD processes. This possibility is given further credence by recent evidence in plants for the existence of caspases, a highly conserved family of regulatory cysteine proteases that constitute the enzymatic component of a central tripartite death switch in apoptosis. In view of these parallels, further elucidation of the mode of action of antiapoptotic proteins in animals should provide insight into their cytoprotective effect in plants and inform the dissection of plant PCD pathways. 1 Dickman, M.B. et al. (2001) Abrogation of disease development in plants expressing animal antiapoptotic genes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 6957–6962
Nicola T. Wood [email protected] http://plants.trends.com
Match-making service for research students Are you a student having trouble finding the right PhD project? Are you fed-up searching through dozens of university websites to find the one that is just right for you? A recently launched web site should make the process much more straightforward. FindAPhD.com [http://www.findaphd.com] lists PhD projects in chemical, physical, earth and life sciences and engineering that are available in the UK and Ireland. This free site, which also aims to put postdoctoral researchers in touch with suitable projects, already contains over 2000 entries for life sciences, is continually updated, and is reviewed at http://www.bioview.com/ community/rev.html. NC
Good vibrations
Courtesy of USDA.
Did you know that the vibrations generated by tapping a tomato could be used to judge its firmness, and thus used as a method of grading the fruit? Unfortunately, the irregular internal structure of the tomato means that tapping it at different positions will give different vibrations, which make grading inconsistent. However, Bart de Ketelaere of the Laboratory of Agricultural Machinery and Processing in Leuven (Belgium) has discovered that tapping the tomato at its south pole (the bottom of the fruit) produces the same type of vibration, which ensures consistent grading. [New Sci. 9 June (2001) p. 19] NC
Space harvest Arabidopsis plants grown in space returned to Earth in late July. To explore the possibility of growing vegetables in space, the plants spent three months aboard the International Space Station. Unlike previous experiments, the Arabidopsis
plants grew just as quickly in space. Scientists at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR) will determine whether space-grown plants can complete life cycles and propagate indefinitely. Weijia Zhou, WCSAR’s director, told reporters that space scientists are ‘very anxious to know whether there’s technology to develop a food so that the crew can eat fresh vegetables every day.’ Growing plants in space can lead to unexpected results, such as in 1998, when space-grown roses resulted in a new fragrance because of the zero gravity conditions. [Belsie, L. (2001) The Christian Science Monitor 23 July, p. 2] TS
Patent sprouts controversy A contentious US patent gives the company Brassica Protection Products (BPP) full rights over who can grow broccoli sprouts. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA) discovered that broccoli sprouts have high levels of sulforaphane glucosinolate, an antioxidant that might be useful in cancer prevention. The researchers received a US patent, now licensed by BPP, which gives the company the exclusive right to grow broccoli sprouts, regardless of variety or growth conditions. To date, the company has five lawsuits pending against five non-compliant sprout growers. Jay Louie, president of the International Sprout Growers Association told reporters, ‘The process of growing sprouts is in the public domain.’ Not according to Brigid Quinn spokesperson for the US Patent and Trademark Office, who upheld the patent’s validity. [Dornbusch, J. (2001) The Boston Herald 8 August, p. 47] TS
Singapore slings plant research While just six years old, the future of Singapore’s Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (IMA) remains uncertain. In July, Singapore’s National Science and Technology Board Chairman, Philip Yeo, told reporters at Nature that keeping IMA open is a ‘criminal waste of taxpayer’s money. We [in Singapore] have no agriculture.’ The new appointment of Ho Ching as IMA’s president in November 2000, dispelled rumors suggesting its closure. In the past year, the government made clear that Singapore would
1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
News & Comment
concentrate on human biomedical science at the expense of plant or environmental sciences. Zhang Lian Hui, IMA’s new director defended the institute and spoke of collaborative plans with industry and academia to strengthen IMA’s research capabilities. [Low, E. (2001) The Business Times Singapore 4 August, p. 1] TS
Domesticated pines For thousands of years Man has been domesticating cereal crops. The taming of forest trees is only just beginning. But concerns over the destruction of natural forests (enormous CO2 sinks of considerable importance), the increasing demand for timber, and development of new uses for tree products now provide the necessary impetus to encourage more focused exploitation of this wonderful resource. A welcome boost to that work is the award of US$3 million by the US Dept of Agriculture to forest scientists at North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources for research into the breeding and genetics of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), one of the most economically important tree species. [http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/univ_relations/ news_services/press_releases/01_07/ 197.htm] NC
Stinky blooms A mysterious and unpleasant odor in the northeastern part of the USA might be coming from rotting phytoplankton blooms, so says Oscar Schofield of Rutgers University (NJ, USA), who links the odor with large phytoplankton blooms that reached the coast and rotted on the shore. Satellite photographs show huge blooms all along the coast resulting from wind-driven circulation closer to the shore. These conditions result in what Schofield told reporters is a ‘wall of organic material on the beaches.’ The Coast Guard reported no spills of any material in the region. Schofield and 200 other researchers took routine samples and measurements in the area, and although most acknowledged the beached material could produce the rotting smell, the cause is still unclear. [Smothers, R. (2001) The New York Times 24 July, p. B7] TS
Cholodny–Went now gone? Nothing lasts forever, not even scientific ideas. One idea that has been around for http://plants.trends.com
TRENDS in Plant Science Vol.6 No.10 October 2001
>70 years is Cholodny–Went’s hypothesis of gravitropism. This proposes that the differential growth characteristic of the gravitropic response is brought about principally by the lateral redistribution of the plant growth regulator, auxin. This view has been challenged by Hans Edelmann [Physiol. Plant. 112 (2001) 119–126]. Edelmann’s model proposes a gravistimulated, temporary inhibition of release of wall-loosening factors on the non-growing side of the organ, which is not dependent upon a redistribution of auxin. Will Cholodny–Went stand the ‘test of time’? Or will its view of gravitropism now fall? NC
Plant smugglers busted An undercover operation resulted in 11 people being charged with smuggling rare orchids and endangered cycads into the USA for commercial purposes. The rare orchids originated from Asia, and some of the accused sent orchids in boxes labeled ‘toys’. Cycads are ancient fern-like shrubs that scientists consider at risk as a result of harmful human activities. The smugglers traded over US$800 000 worth of cycads from Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The importers violated international trade agreements that protect endangered species. To date, officials have arrested only 5 of the 11 defendants; the others are still at large. If charged, the maximum prison sentence is five years. [United Press International 25 July 2001] TS
New direction for transgenic plants Attempts to produce transgenic crops are beset with many technical problems, such as gene silencing (where the transgene is not expressed). Typically, each added gene is driven by its own promoter; and in some instances gene silencing has been linked to the multiple use of the same promoter. A solution to this problem is described by Mingtang Xie and co-workers [Nat. Biotechnol. 19 (2001) 677–679] who show that a single promoter can be used to drive the expression of two genes, which are attached to either end of the promoter. Bi-directional gene-promotion raises hopes of more successful introduction of multiple genes necessary to effect metabolic engineering in plants (and new cause for concern over more widespread introduction of transgenic crops…). NC
453
Carnivorous pine trees?
Recent work [Nature 410 (2001) 651–652] suggests that traditional notions of the calm and peacefulness of a pine forest might need to be re-examined. John Klironomos and Miranda Hart of the University of Guelph (Canada) show that a fungus, Laccaria bicolor, which is ectomycorrhizal on pine (Pinus strobus) can predate on soilliving invertebrates and transfer some of their nitrogen to its host tree. Astonishingly, in some cases, up to 25% of tree nitrogen was derived from the arthropods. If this finding is of general occurrence, commonly held views of forest nutrient-cycling will need to be re-evaluated. NC
Underwater laboratory To understand better why seaweed grows abundantly around Florida’s coral to the coral’s detriment, scientists have set up a laboratory at the bottom of the ocean floor. Aquarius is an 80-ton steel and glass underwater laboratory off Key Largo (FL, USA) that acts as home base for researchers who plan on spending eight to ten hours a day in the water, trying to understand the outgrowth of seaweed. Kevin Beach (University of Tampa, FL, USA), part of the six-member team, told reporters ‘when you see a reef that’s 70% seaweed, it’s a problem. We’re going to look at what’s fertilizing the seaweed and promoting its growth’. [Loft, K. (2001) The Tampa Tribune 30 July, Metro p. 1] TS
All at sea with sunblock Phytoplankton thrive close to the sea’s surface, yet they are exposed to dangerously high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. How do they survive? Scientists at the
1360-1385/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.