Discoveries in plant genetics show how DMSP production can enhance plant growth under stressful conditions, pointing to the potential for breeding drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant crops. New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has identified genes that help plants grow under stress for the first time, opening up new ways to grow sustainable food crops in the face of global climate change.
Research results and implications for agriculture
A recently published study Nature Communicationuncovers genes that allow plants to produce a new anti-stress molecule called dimethylsulfoniopropionate, or DMSP. This suggests that most plants produce DMSP, but high levels of DMSP production allow plants to grow in coastal conditions, for example in saline conditions.
Additionally, the study shows that plants can be grown under other stress conditions, such as drought, by supplementing with DMSP or by creating plants that produce their own DMSP. This approach may be particularly useful in nitrogen-poor soils to increase agricultural productivity.
This is the first study to identify the genes that plants use to produce DMSP, determine why plants make this molecule, and reveal that DMSP can be used to improve plant stress tolerance.
Details of notable researchers
“Surprisingly, our research shows that most plants produce the anti-stress mixture DMSP, but salt marsh grass Spartina It is special because of the high levels it accumulates. This is important because salt marshes Spartina “They are global hotspots for the production of DMSP and the production of dimethyl sulphide gas, which cools the climate through the action of microbes that break down DMSP,” said Professor John Todd from UEA’s School of Biological Sciences.
Lead author Dr. from the UEA School of Biological Sciences. Ben Miller added: “This discovery provides a fundamental understanding of how plants cope with stress and offers promising ways to improve crop tolerance to salinity and drought, which are important for increasing agricultural sustainability under conditions of global climate change.”
The research team included scientists from the UEA School of Biological Sciences, the School of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology and the Ocean University of China.
Comparison and wider impact
The team studied the salt marsh species. Anglica of Spartina – a plant that produces high levels of DMSP and compares its genes to the genes of other plants that produce this molecule, although mostly in low concentrations.
Many of these low DMSP strains are crops that cover large areas such as barley and wheat in the UK. Researchers have identified three enzymes involved in the high production of DMSP in the body. Spartina Anglica.
DMSP plays a critical role in stress protection and is an integral part of the global carbon and sulfur cycle as well as the production of climate-active gases. Salt marsh ecosystems, especially those dominated by Spartina socksThese plants are hotspots for DMSP production due to their ability to synthesize extremely high concentrations of the compound.
Source: Port Altele
