Researchers at Saitama University in Japan have recently discovered that when leaves of plants are infected with insects, they secrete glutamate, and the information is quickly transmitted to other leaves, which promotes the synthesis of insect-resistant substances in plants.
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\nPrevious studies have found that plants can transmit information in a short period of time when they encounter pests, but plants do not have animal-like brains and nervous systems. How they perceive damage and transmit information is still unknown.
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\nResearchers at Saitama University injected green fluorescent protein into the most common model plant Arabidopsis to observe the interior of plant cells. It was found that after the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana were foraged by the worms, the cells at the wounds secreted glutamate automatically, which promoted the increase of calcium ion concentration, and used calcium ions as a signal at a rate of about 1 mm per second to transport nutrients through plants. The pipe is passed to the other blades.
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\nWhen the concentration of calcium ions in all the leaf cells increased, the plant quickly began to synthesize a substance called jasmonic acid. Jasmonic acid is an endogenous growth regulating substance present in higher plants. When combined with receptors of cells, it produces bitter alkaloids and gas that pests hate, making the pests reluctant to approach plants.
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\nResearchers say the results will help develop new environmentally friendly pesticides. Related papers have been published in the online edition of the new US issue of Science.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"