Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes
10:07

Identification of Post-translational Modifications of Plant Protein Complexes

Published on: February 22, 2014

24.7K

MORC Proteins: Novel Players in Plant and Animal Health

Aline Koch1, Hong-Gu Kang2, Jens Steinbrenner1

  • 1Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Institute for Phytopathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Frontiers in Plant Science
|November 3, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Microrchidia (MORC) proteins are key regulators in plants, involved in immunity, gene silencing, and DNA repair. These proteins possess topoisomerase II-like activities crucial for epigenetic regulation and pathogen defense.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Molecular Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Plant Immunity

Background:

  • Microrchidia (MORC) proteins are conserved across species, characterized by GHKL ATPase and S5 domains.
  • Initially identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, plant MORCs play roles in defense against viral pathogens.
  • Emerging evidence links MORCs to gene silencing, transposable element repression, and chromatin remodeling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the functions of plant Microrchidia (MORC) proteins.
  • To highlight their roles in plant immunity, gene regulation, and DNA modification.
  • To compare plant MORC functions with their animal counterparts.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on Microrchidia (MORC) proteins in plants and animals.
  • Analysis of genetic, biochemical, and epigenetic data related to MORC function.
  • Comparative analysis of conserved domains and activities between plant and animal MORCs.

Main Results:

  • Plant MORCs are involved in pathogen resistance, gene silencing, and epigenetic regulation.
  • Biochemical studies reveal topoisomerase II (topo II)-like DNA modifying activities in plant MORCs.
  • Animal MORCs share functional parallels, including gene silencing and salicylic acid binding, which modulates their DNA modifying activities.

Conclusions:

  • Plant MORC proteins are multifaceted regulators involved in crucial cellular processes like immunity and epigenetic control.
  • Their topoisomerase II-like activities suggest a role in maintaining genome stability and regulating gene expression.
  • Further research into MORC proteins could reveal novel targets for enhancing plant defense and crop improvement.
Keywords:
RNA interference (RNAi)RNA-directed DNA methylationhuman MORCsimmunitypathogenplant MORCstranscriptional gene silencing

More Related Videos

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem11:50

Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem

Published on: October 1, 2015

22.9K
Author Spotlight: Microscopic Analysis of Protein Localization at Plasmodesmata in Plants05:54

Author Spotlight: Microscopic Analysis of Protein Localization at Plasmodesmata in Plants

Published on: November 1, 2024

2.7K

Related Concept Videos

Cell Signaling in Plants01:25

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
6.5K
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
10.9K
Transgenic Plants02:50

Transgenic Plants

Recombinant DNA technology called transgenesis is often used to add a foreign gene or remove a detrimental gene from an organism. Such genetically modified organisms are called transgenic organisms.
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
8.8K
Cell Adhesion in Plants01:14

Cell Adhesion in Plants

Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
3.4K
Meristems and Plant Growth02:36

Meristems and Plant Growth

Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
49.9K
Mechanical Protein Function01:58

Mechanical Protein Function

2.5K