University of California at Berkeley, et al. other research news

University scientists have cloned a plant gene that governs resistance to infection by Pseu-domonas syringae bacteria. The RPS2 gene, isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana, shares several features with receptors and with ATP- and GTP-binding proteins, as well as a domain that would appear to span the cell membrane.

As described in Science, plant resistance genes, which can confer specific protection against a particular pathogen, have been postulated to code for receptors for the eliciting factors made by the pathogens. This information should help biotechnology efforts for engineering crop resistance, the researchers wrote. ...