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Damaged-self recognition in plant herbivore defence
1Departamento de Ingeniería Genética. CINVESTAV-Irapuato, Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México. mheil@ira.cinvestav.mx
Plants recognize herbivore damage by detecting signals from their own disintegrated cells. This "damaged-self recognition" helps plants control herbivore interactions and identify defense triggers.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Ecology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Herbivore feeding triggers plant defense responses.
- The specific molecular signals mediating these responses are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a unifying principle for plant defense signaling against herbivores.
- To introduce the concept of 'damaged-self recognition'.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing research on plant-herbivore interactions.
- Review of known plant defense elicitors.
Main Results:
- Plant defense is mediated by the perception of signals from damaged plant cells.
- Many known defense-inducing molecules are derived from or released by disintegrating plant cells.
- This recognition allows plants to maintain control over herbivore interactions.
Conclusions:
- 'Damaged-self recognition' offers a new paradigm for understanding plant responses to herbivory.
- This concept aids in identifying unknown elicitors of plant defense responses.
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