Refrigerators store food at safe temperatures and keep it fresh, but they can also be a breeding ground for gray mold that can spoil fruit. Most mold grows in warm temperatures, but many also grow in the refrigerator. produce spores. Spores can become airborne, build up in your refrigerator, and infect fruits and vegetables. However, plants may not be completely immune to this creeping fungus.according to The study was published Dec. 15 in the journal Cell hosts and microorganismsplants use stealth molecular weapons to attack botrytis cells.
[Related: A bit of care can keep your houseplants from sheltering harmful mold.]
To find out more, the research team profiled messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules present in plants called . Arabidopsis– or turret watercress – against botrytis (Botrytis cinerea). mRNA is a small molecule inside cells that has a set of instructions, like a blueprint. All three types of RNA can build proteins; mRNA acts like a messengerwe bring you protein recipes.
In the lab, they looked at how plants pump out tiny lipid “bubbles” called extracellular vesicles filled with RNA and mRNA molecules that can attack aggressive mold cells. Once the air bubbles are inside, the molecules can inhibit infectious mold cells.
“Plants don’t just sit there doing nothing. They’re trying to protect themselves from mold, and now we have a better understanding of how they do it,” study co-authors says Heiling Jin, a microbiologist at the University of California, Riverside. stated in a statement.
gin’s team found previously This means that plants can use the same bubbles to send small mRNA molecules that can silence genes that make molds more toxic. The new study found that these bubbles contain mRNA molecules that attack key cellular processes in mold cells, including organelle function.
“These mRNAs may encode some proteins that end up in the mitochondria of the fungal cells. These are the power source of every cell because they produce energy,” Jin said. I did. “Once they enter the body, they disrupt the structure and function of fungal mitochondria, inhibiting fungal growth and virulence.”
The research team doesn’t fully understand why the fungus accepts lipid bubbles in the first place. They think the fungi may simply be starving. Fungi can take up foam as nutrients without realizing there is something dangerous inside. This is an efficient strategy for plants because one small mRNA molecule can have a large effect on the fungus. According to Jina molecular weapon with mRNA can be translated into millions of copies or proteins, amplifying its effects.
Interestingly, Molds use these same lipid bubbles It sends small damaging RNAs into the plants it infects. These suppress plant immunity and properly protect the genetic information necessary for the fungus to take over the plant host.
[Related: Nightmare-fuel fungi exist in real life.]
“During an infection, there’s always a lot of communication and molecular exchange between plants and fungi trying to fight each other,” Jin says. “Previously, people were focused on the proteins being exchanged. Now, thanks to modern technology, we have been able to discover another group of important players in this battle.”
In future studies, the researchers hope to use the discovery of this stealth RNA delivery system to develop more environmentally friendly disinfectants. They believe that these potential RNA-based fungicides do not leave toxic residues in the environment and do not affect animals or humans.
“It’s a never-ending battle to control pests and pathogens,” Jin said. “If we can deliver mRNA that interferes with mold cell function, we may be able to help plants fight this battle more effectively.”
