| Plant biological warfare: thorns inject pathogenic bacteria into herbivores. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 17298359 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Thorns, spines and prickles are among the rich arsenal of antiherbivore defence mechanisms that plants have evolved. Many of these thorns are aposematic, that is, marked by various types of warning coloration. This coloration was recently proposed to deter large herbivores. Yet, the mechanical defence provided by thorns against large herbivores might be only the tip of the iceberg in a much more complicated story. Here we present evidence that thorns harbour an array of pathogenic bacteria that are much more dangerous to herbivores than the painful mechanical wounding by the thorns. Pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium perfringens, the causative agent of the life-threatening gas gangrene, and others, were isolated and identified from date palm (with green-yellow-black aposematic spines) and common hawthorn (with red aposematic thorns). These thorn-inhabiting bacteria have a considerable potential role in antiherbivory, and may have uniquely contributed to the common evolution of aposematism (warning coloration) in thorny plants. |
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Authors:
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Malka Halpern; Dina Raats; Simcha Lev-Yadun |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Environmental microbiology Volume: 9 ISSN: 1462-2912 ISO Abbreviation: Environ. Microbiol. Publication Date: 2007 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2007-02-14 Completed Date: 2007-04-03 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 100883692 Medline TA: Environ Microbiol Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 584-92 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Haifa - Oranim, Tivon 36006, Israel. mhalpern@research.haifa.ac.il |
| Data Bank Information | |
Bank Name/Acc. No.:
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GENBANK/DQ298076; DQ298077; DQ298078; DQ298079; DQ298080; DQ298081; DQ298082; DQ298083; DQ298084; DQ298085; DQ298086; DQ298087; DQ298088; DQ298089; DQ298090; DQ298091; DQ298092; DQ298093; DQ298094; DQ298095; DQ298096; DQ298097; DQ298098; DQ298099; DQ298100; DQ298101; DQ298102; DQ298103; DQ298104; DQ298105; DQ298106; DQ298107; DQ298108; DQ298109; DQ298110; DQ298111; DQ298112; DQ298113; DQ298114; DQ298115; DQ298116; DQ298117; DQ298118; DQ298119; DQ298120; DQ298121; DQ298122; DQ298123; DQ298124; DQ298125; DQ298126; DQ298127; DQ298128; DQ298129; DQ298130; DQ298131; DQ298132 |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Arecaceae / anatomy & histology, microbiology* Bacillus / classification, isolation & purification, pathogenicity Bacteria / classification*, isolation & purification, pathogenicity* Bacterial Infections / microbiology* Clostridium perfringens / classification, isolation & purification, pathogenicity DNA, Bacterial / analysis Genes, rRNA Humans Molecular Sequence Data Phylogeny Pigmentation Plant Poisoning* Plant Stems / microbiology* RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics Rosaceae / anatomy & histology, microbiology* Sequence Analysis, DNA |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/DNA, Bacterial; 0/RNA, Ribosomal, 16S |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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