flowers – BioQuakes

Did you know that flowering plants can remember changes in their environment? I sure didn’t!

Flowering plants use their memory to remember the temperature of a cold winter. By doing so, plants ensure that they will only flower during the warmer temperatures of spring or summer.

The way plants do this is through a group of proteins called polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). In cold temperatures, the proteins come together as a complex and switch the plant into flowering mode. However little is known about how PRC2 senses the temperature changes in the environment.

But according to an article on Science News, a team of researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham lead by Dr. Daniel Gibbs discovered a mechanism in angiosperms that enable them to sense and remember changes in the environment so they can adapt to the varying conditions around them, especially during the changing of seasons. The researchers discovered that the protein Vernalization 2 (VRN2), the core of the PRC2, is very unstable.

Why is this important? Since VRN2 is unstable, it can be greatly affected by the level of oxygen in the environment. In warmer months, the plant is already a flower, so it does not need to continue the flowering process. The abundance of oxygen causes VRN2 to break down. Conversely, when there is a lower level of oxygen in the colder months, VRN2 becomes more stable, causing the proteins of PRC2 to come together and switch the plant into flowering mode. As Dr. Gibbs says, “In this way, VRN2 directly senses and responds to signals from the environment, and the PRC2 remains inactive until required.”

By sensing and remembering the changes in their environment, plants can control their life cycle. I find it so interesting that plants have this capability. Plants that are able to adapt to our world’s ever-changing climate will be more successful in surviving.

During the flu season, we all try to be a little more vigilant when it comes to germs. Even as a self-proclaimed “germaphobe,” I was not as lucky to escape the evil grasp of the disease. Aside from recognizing the obvious perpetrators, who include those who refuse to cover their mouths, people who breathe just a little too close to me, and grimy freshmen, I wanted to find out a little more about the origin of diseases.

An interesting area of research regarding the topic is being pioneered by Scott McArt and Lynn Adler of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They are investigating how great a role flowers play in the transmission of diseases. Around 190 studies having to do with flowers and diseases they pass on have been dated back to the lat 1940’s. This research is important because it can “help efforts to control economically devastating pollinator-vectored plant pathogens.” Still, this topic is very new and not as conclusive as many would think. Despite this fact, “eight major groups of animal pathogens that are potentially transmitted at flowers” (by bees and other pollinators) have been discovered. It is unknown whether pathogens are transmitted via the chemical or physical traits of flowers.

The main goal of the study was to attention to the need to further explore the relationship between flowers, their pollinators and diseases, as many people have expressed concern for “the pollinator declines caused in part by pathogens.” Do you agree that this is an area worth researching?

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: flowers

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