Microbial Molecule Turns Plants Into Zombies: The Curse That Might Contain a Cure

[Grim Reaper 6]

Zombie plants, witches’ brooms and the curse that might contain a cure. A newly discovered manipulation mechanism used by parasitic bacteria to slow down plant aging, may offer new ways to protect disease-threatened food crops. Parasites manipulate the organisms they live off to suit their needs, sometimes in drastic ways. When under the spell of a parasite, some plants undergo such extensive changes that they are described as “zombies”. They stop reproducing and serve only as a habitat and host for the parasitic pathogens.

Our findings cast new light on a molecular mechanism behind this extended phenotype in a way that could help solve a major problem for food production. We highlight a promising strategy for engineering plants to achieve a level of durable resistance of crops to phytoplasmas.”

https://scitechdaily.com/microbial-molecule-turns-plants-into-zombies-the-curse-that-might-contain-a-cure/