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Ricca's factors

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Ricca's factor is considered to be an elicitor of electrical signalling in wounded plants, recently shown to be thioglucoside glucohydrolase, a protein of the myrosinase family.[1]

History

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Ricca's factors were originally considered to be hormones transported in the water of the xylem as a stress-induced response in Mimosa pudica, denoted first in scientific literature in 1916 by plant scientist Ubaldo Ricca of Genoa, Italy.[2] These chemicals in theory are released following wounding, or from the herbivores themselves, and travel long distances.[3] Whilst early research initially predicted the inducers to be hormones, as of 2023 these are suspected to be β-thioglucoside glucohydrolase 1 & 2 (TGG1, TGG2).[1]

Mechanism

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Severe wounding triggers defence-inducing electrical signals known as slow wave potentials in angiosperms.[4] These widespread signals are transmitted between leaves, often induced by herbivore-mediated damage of the leaf midrib or petiole, via the primary distal leaf vein. It is denoted by a long-duration membrane depolarisation phase, lasting approximately two minutes, allowing rapid loss of membrane potential. Slow wave potentials alongside short-lived aglycone intermediates generated by hydrolysis of glucosinolate or Ricca's factors play a role in plant defence.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Gao Y, Sandoval P, Tiwari S, Stolz S, Wang J, Glauser G, Santiago J, Farmer E (2023). "Ricca's factors as mobile proteinaceous effectors of electrical signaling". Cell. 186 (7): 1337–1351. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.006. PMC 10098372. PMID 36870332. S2CID 257313048.
  2. ^ Ricca U (1916). "Soluzione d'un problema di fisiologia-La propagazione di stimolo nella "Mimosa"". Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano Nuovo Serie. 23: 51–170.
  3. ^ Dussourd D (2022). "Salivary surprise: Symmerista caterpillars anoint petioles with red saliva after clipping leaves". PLOS ONE. 17 (3): e0265490. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1765490D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0265490. PMC 8926259. PMID 35294481.
  4. ^ Farmer E, Gao Y, Lenzoni G, Wolfender J, Wu Q (2020). "Wound- and mechanostimulated electrical signals control hormone responses". New Phytologist. 227 (4): 1037–1050. doi:10.1111/nph.16646. PMID 32392391. S2CID 218598681.