title: An S-like ribonuclease gene is used to generate a trap-leaf enzyme in the carnivorous plant Drosera adelae.
abstract: Carnivorous plants usually grow in nutrient-deficient habitats, and thus they partly depend on insects for nitrogen and phosphate needed for amino acid and nucleotide synthesis. We report that a sticky digestive liquid from a sundew, Drosera adelae, contains an abundant amount of an S-like ribonuclease (RNase) that shows high amino acid-sequence similarity to S-like RNases induced by phosphate starvation or wounding in normal plants. By giving leaves an RNase "coat", D. adelae seems to achieve two requirements simultaneously to adapt itself to its specific surroundings: it obtains phosphates from insects, and defends itself against pathogen attack.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Iwakiri
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Mori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hitoshi
authors.forename: Tomoshisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohyama
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D029787:Drosera / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012260:Ribonucleases