ABOVE: Representation of opabactin bound at two different locations (dashed yellow lines) to an ABA receptor.
SEAN CUTLER, UC RIVERSIDE
An engineered small molecule called opabactin that targets the receptor for the hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which plants release in stressful conditions, limited water loss in Arabidopsis, tomato, and wheat, and improved wheat’s tolerance of drought-like conditions in the lab, according to a study published today (October 24) in Science. It could be a novel strategy for helping crops cope with the increased numbers of droughts that researchers predict as the climate changes, the authors say, but must be evaluated for toxicity and environmental impact before use in field tests.
The study is “a beautiful representation of how powerful the interface between chemistry and biology can be, and how it can be utilized to study water use efficiency in plants, which is a crucial topic in the current global climate,” Cara ...
