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    Home > Biochemistry News > Plant Extracts News > Controlling a single gene makes plants grow faster

    Controlling a single gene makes plants grow faster

    • Last Update: 2010-11-15
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    According to the report of the website of American physicists on November 12 (Beijing time), researchers from the Institute of genetic science and policy (igsp) of Duke University in the United States said that using a single gene to transform perennial forage can make its roots more tough and grow faster, which is conducive to the production of bio fuel Perennial Forages include switchgrass and awn grass Last year, the United States proposed plans to extract fuel ethanol from renewable crops such as corn and switchgrass by 2012 Switchgrass has long been considered a promising ethanol source because it is a perennial plant and corn needs to be replanted every year However, most biofuel crops need to be harvested two or three years after planting, and their roots need to be fixed Improving root growth can greatly reduce harvesting time Philip benfini, a biologist and director of the igsp Research Center for systems biology, has done this They used a genomic approach aimed at identifying specific genes that become active when cells stop dividing and begin to show signs that they will eventually become mature cells Finally, they found a gene called upb1, and further research showed that upb1 can control the gene expression of peroxidase They then demonstrated that peroxidase controls the balance of free radicals between the area of cell reproduction and the area of cell elongation from which cell division begins Free radicals are harmful compounds produced in the body's oxidation reaction, which have strong oxidation, can damage the body's tissues and cells, and then cause chronic diseases and aging effects When the researchers destroyed the activity of upb1 in the roots of plants in the experiment, they changed the balance of free radicals, making cells delay division and continue to reproduce In the end, these plants have faster growing roots, more and larger cells When the activity of upb1 is increased artificially, the growth of plant roots becomes slow This means that plants can grow faster by manipulating a single gene, benfini said, adding that upb1 activity has nothing to do with phytoestrogens In addition, from the perspective of genetic engineering, it is more attractive to enhance plant growth by removing rather than adding a gene It also shows that plants don't grow as hard as they can because they have to choose between growth and reproduction In addition to its potential use in biofuels, the new findings are expected to help scientists grow larger, stronger plants that can absorb more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
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