Find out the origin of thorns on plants

In a new study, scientists have found the origin of the spines, the rigid extension that a variety of plants use to protect themselves from herbivores.

Vivian Irish, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University and lead author of the study, has conducted research on some of the particularly long spines protruding from the three-spill locust trees in New Haven. , Connecticut, USA. The three-spiny locust is an early deciduous native to eastern North America.

Stem cells can help explain the origin of the spines.

Most three-spike locust has no thorns because the growers have propagated that leads to the removal of thorns. But many actual old trees still grow thorns.

Given this fact, Vivian Irish is a stem cell expert who thinks that stem cells can help explain the origin of the spines.

Through a series of laboratory experiments and genetic analysis, Vivian Irish and his colleagues determined that tree spikes built by stem cells were completely accurate.

As a newly developed appendage involves two regulators producing stem cells called TI1 and TI2 , smoother stem cell activity will make what can become a new branch retain its sharpness. . When the scientists blocked TI1 and TI2, the tree models created new branches, but no new spines.

The finding could help growers create plants with fewer dangerous spikes and more bearing fruit.

"We propose that changing the timing and function of the components of this gene lattice could explain the evolution of the spines. Adjusting this path could significantly change the architecture and have can be utilized to improve crop yields, ' the researchers stressed about the new finding.