The article “Scientists find immune molecule that supercharges plant growth” has been rewritten to provide clarity, structure, and style while maintaining its core ideas. The rewritten version is as follows:

Unlocking Nature’s Potential: Scientists Discover Key Molecule to Supercharge Plant Growth

For years, researchers have known about a molecule called itaconate that plays a vital role in the human immune system. However, its presence and functions in plants remained largely unexplored – until now. Biologists at the University of California San Diego have conducted the first comprehensive study on itaconate’s functions in plants, revealing its significant role in stimulating plant growth.

“We found that itaconate is made in plants, particularly in growing cells,” said Jazz Dickinson, a senior author of the study and an assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. “Watering maize (corn) plants with itaconate made seedlings grow taller, which was exciting and encouraged us to investigate this metabolite further and understand how it interacts with plant proteins.”

The researchers used chemical imaging and measurement techniques to confirm that plants produce itaconate. They also discovered that itaconate plays multiple key roles in plant physiology, including involvement in primary metabolism and oxygen-related stress response.

Optimizing the natural benefits of itaconate could be crucial for safely maximizing crop growth to support growing global populations. “This discovery could lead to nature-inspired solutions to improve the growth of crops, like corn,” said Dickinson. “We also hope that developing a better understanding of the connections between plant and animal biology will reveal new insights that can help both plant and human health.”

The study, supported in part by funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Science Advances on June 6, 2025. The findings have exciting implications for improving crop growth using nature-inspired solutions, while also offering fresh information for understanding the molecule’s role in human development and growth.

The discovery of scientists at Rutgers and Brookhaven National Laboratory has shed light on a natural process where plant cells intentionally die to help their host stay healthy. This phenomenon, known as programmed cell death or cell suicide, is crucial for fighting diseases and responding to stress in plants.

A team led by Eric Lam at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Qun Liu at Brookhaven National Laboratory reported that advanced crystallography and computer modeling techniques have enabled them to obtain a detailed understanding of metacaspase 9, a pivotal plant protease. This enzyme plays a central role in programmed cell death and has been linked to two major types of disease-causing agents for plants: biotrophs and necrotrophs.

The researchers found that strengthening metacaspase 9 may prevent biotrophic diseases, while jamming its function means the enzyme won’t assist necrotrophs in killing healthy cells. By creating “super-active variants” of the enzyme, they may provide novel resistance traits to a slew of important diseases, such as powdery mildew and rusts.

This breakthrough has significant implications for agriculture, as it could lead to safer and more effective treatments for crops around the world. The researchers have already started exploring ways to develop tools that can harness metacaspase 9’s biological functions to protect plants from devastating diseases.

The team’s work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the National Science Foundation, and they used Highly Automated Macromolecular Crystallography (AMX) and Frontier Microfocusing Macromolecular Crystallography (FMX) beamlines at NSLS-II, a DOE Office of Science user facility.

This discovery is a testament to the power of scientific collaboration and the potential for groundbreaking research to improve our understanding of the natural world. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of plant biology, we may uncover new ways to protect crops from diseases and promote sustainable agriculture practices that benefit both people and the environment.

In a surprising discovery, researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have found that a mutant protein that helps plants fight off disease may actually contribute to their aging process. This counterintuitive finding challenges the long-held assumption that resistance to disease would result in a longer lifespan for plants.

The research team, led by Graduate School of Agriculture student Tomoko Matsumoto and Professor Noriko Inada, discovered that thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants with the mutant Actin Depolymerizing Factor protein (ADF) turn yellow sooner than their wild-type counterparts. This accelerated aging was observed not only under normal conditions but also when subjected to dark conditions.

Professor Inada explained the significance of this research, saying, “ADFs are involved in leaf aging, disease response, and plant growth control. Further elucidation of the function of ADFs can help contribute to crop yield improvement and enhanced sustainability of agricultural production.”

This study sheds new light on the complex relationships between a plant’s defense mechanisms and its overall health span, highlighting the need for further research into the roles of ADFs in plant biology.