Overview
- The Kobe University team reports in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry that high-accumulating gourd varieties secrete specific major latex-like protein variants into plant sap.
- A small difference in the proteins’ amino acid sequence functions as a tag that determines secretion into sap versus intracellular retention.
- Expressing the high-accumulation protein in tobacco triggered its export into sap, experimentally confirming the secretion mechanism across species.
- The proteins bind persistent hydrophobic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dieldrin and dioxins that pose food-safety risks when concentrated in edible tissues.
- The researchers say the mechanism points to routes for breeding or engineering safer crops or phytoremediation plants, with real-world applications still requiring further study.