Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. Signal., 29 September 2009
Vol. 2, Issue 90, p. pe60
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.290pe60]

PERSPECTIVES

Sending ROS on a Bullet Train

Hann Ling Wong and Ko Shimamoto*

Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama 8916-5, Ikoma, 630-0192 Nara, Japan.

Abstract: Plants have to contend with biotic stress, such as disease, mechanical wounding, and herbivory, as well as abiotic stress, such as heat, cold, and salinity. An early warning system for these threats would prevent or reduce the damage suffered by plants. Such a warning system should allow the signal to be rapidly generated and sent over long distances. The study of systemic signaling in plants has been a major scientific challenge. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are among the systemic signals that have been proposed. Now, the exciting discovery that systemic ROS signaling is mediated by an NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form) oxidase opens the door to understanding the molecular mechanisms that initiate and propagate a rapid systemic signal.

* Corresponding author. E-mail, simamoto{at}bs.naist.jp

Citation: H. L. Wong, K. Shimamoto, Sending ROS on a Bullet Train. Sci. Signal. 2, pe60 (2009).

Read the Full Text

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882