Biologists May Have Solved a 30-Year-Old Mystery on Why Touch Stresses Plants Out

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Scientists have long known that touching plants can set off a stress reaction in them – but until now it hasn't been exactly clear how that worked at a molecular level, something that a new study hopes to shed light on.

that touching plants can set off a stress reaction in them – but until now it hasn't been exactly clear how that worked at a molecular level, something that a new study hopes to shed light on.The researchers behind the study have identified certain genetic keys inside plants that lead to two separate signaling pathways, explaining why plants react so strongly to being touched.

"We exposed the plant thale cress to soft brushing, after which thousands of genes were activated and stress hormones were released,""We then used genetic screening to find the genes that were responsible for this process." Less was known about how this process worked in other parts of the plant, such as their leaves. There were hints compounds like jasmonic acid played a critical role in transforming those early chemical signals into behavioral or growth changes, but there were also plenty of gaps that needed to be filled in.The researchers spotted six individual genes that played a role in touch response, three for the signaling pathway related to jasmonic acid, and three on a separate signaling pathway.

"Our results solve a scientific mystery that has eluded the world's molecular biologists for 30 years,""We have identified a completely new signaling pathway that controls a plant's response to physical contact and touch. Now the search for more paths continues."

 

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