Pathogen Resistance Depending on Jacalin-Dirigent Chimeric Proteins Is Common among Poaceae but Absent in the Dicot Arabidopsis as Evidenced by Analysis of Homologous Single-Domain Proteins.

MonocotJRLs are Poaceae-specific two-domain proteins that consist of a jacalin-related lectin (JRL) and a dirigent (DIR) domain which participate in multiple developmental processes, including disease resistance. For OsJAC1, a monocotJRL from rice, it has been confirmed that constitutive expression in transgenic rice or barley plants facilitates broad-spectrum disease resistance. In this process, both domains of OsJAC1 act cooperatively, as evidenced from experiments with artificially separated JRL- or DIR-domain-containing proteins.

The Crystal Structure of the Defense Conferring Rice Protein JAC1 Reveals a Carbohydrate Binding Site on the Dirigent-like Domain.

Pesticides are routinely used to prevent severe losses in agriculture. This practice is under debate because of its potential negative environmental impact and selection of resistances in pathogens. Therefore, the development of disease resistant plants is mandatory.

Biochemical and Initial Structural Characterization of the Monocot Chimeric Jacalin OsJAC1.

The monocot chimeric jacalin OsJAC1 from   consists of a dirigent and a jacalin-related lectin domain. The corresponding gene is expressed in response to different abiotic and biotic stimuli. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the basic function of the individual domains and their contribution to the physiological role of the entire protein.

Halogenating Enzymes for Active Agent Synthesis: First Steps Are Done and Many Have to Follow.

Halogens can be very important for active agents as vital parts of their binding mode, on the one hand, but are on the other hand instrumental in the synthesis of most active agents. However, the primary halogenating compound is molecular chlorine which has two major drawbacks, high energy consumption and hazardous handling. Nature bypassed molecular halogens and evolved at least six halogenating enzymes: Three kind of haloperoxidases, flavin-dependent halogenases as well as α-ketoglutarate and adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent halogenases.