Posted on January - 18 - 2012
Plant found with built-in drought alarm
A signal found in plants could act as a drought alarm, allowing them to adapt to such extreme conditions.
Scientists stumbled on the signal while trying to understand how different parts of the cell chat with one another in the Arabidopsis thaliana, a kin of canola, under drought conditions.
A series of connected pathways, like the production lines of a factory, are inside every plant and animal cell. They are regulated by chemical signals and inputs, which can come from many sources.
Scientists have proposed for a while that chemical signals must be sent by a particular plant department, or organelle, to the nucleus, the cells control centre, for plants to become aware of and adapt to harsh conditions, according to an Australian National University (ANU) statement.