DAMP In Plants

Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) have recently reported that a protein that signals tissue damage to the human immune system has a counterpart that plays a similar role in plants.  They have identified a new damage-associated molecular pattern molecule or “DAMP” in plants.  DAMP molecules released by injured cells trigger an immune response in plants and animals, a protein that researchers call HMGB3.  Knowledge of HMGB3 and its human equivalent, HMGB1, allows us to better understand how humans and plants can fight off infections. Plants and animal...