The discovery of a gene that regulates the effects of the plant hormone jasmonic acid might lead to ways to increase pest resistance in crops, without hindering their growth. Jasmonic acid helps plants to fend off insects and pathogens; it also regulates aspects of plant development, including fertility and fruit ripening. Daoxin Xie of Tsinghua University in Beijing and his colleagues identified a gene called JAV1 in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that suppresses several responses triggered by jasmonic acid. The JAV1 protein was degraded when insects or fungi attacked. Silencing JAV1 boosted plant resistance to disease, but had no adverse effect on fertility or other developmental processes.
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