Herbs like sage, rosemary, basil, and even trees like teak have a strong scent and flavor. Scientists from Michigan State University found that these plants need different chemicals to survive – this helps them create different characteristics that can be used in medicine or insect control.
Björn Hamberger, a professor at the College of Natural Science, said that it’s simple to recognize plants from the mint family because they produce special chemicals. According to him, these chemicals are really helpful for the plants since they can’t move away from danger.
For the last four years, Hamberger has been doing research on a particular type of chemicals found in plants called terpenoids. These helpful chemicals protect the plant from things that can hurt it, like harmful bugs or diseases. Plus, they’re also used to make safe and natural garden sprays, health-boosting products, cosmetics, and scents.
Hamberger worked with Robin Buell, a scientist from the University of Georgia, who studied the DNA inside several mint plants. This research led his graduate students, Abigail Bryson and Emily Lanier, to learn how the genomes of this plant family had changed over 60-70 million years and also how their chemicals developed during that time.
Plants have changed and grown over many years, each different type of plant adapted and found where it could survive best. This made plants produce different kinds of chemicals that fit their environment. So the scientists in this area try to work out how plants make those special chemicals.
Bryson and Lanier studied the genes of the beautyberry from the mint family. They found something unique – a group of genes called a ‘biosynthetic gene cluster’. This gene cluster is like a necklace with all its pieces connected, but each gene on its own works differently too. What’s more amazing – this kind of gene cluster was also found in six other species of plants in the same family!
Dr. Bryson told us that it is important to know where genes are located in your genome. This can lead to plants having a bunch of new and special chemicals, which makes them act differently from one another.
The beautyberry plant has something called BGC clusters, which contain genes that make two kinds of terpenoid molecules. These molecules are found in different parts of the plant like its leaves and roots, and they may help the plant survive in a certain environment. Scientists think that each species is making their own version of the base molecule but changing it to fit its needs.
Hamberger is suggesting that if we use plants from the mint family, like Indian Coleus and Texas Sage, then we can create natural treatments for illnesses such as glaucoma and even tuberculosis. This new finding will open up possibilities in the future to help find even more medicinal uses of these plants.
“Our group is excited about the potential of American beautyberry plants!” said Hamberger. “Their enzymes enable us to create natural products in lab, including maybe – eventually – a natural mosquito repellent that smells good!”
We have made a big discovery in science that could help treat something called primary open angle glaucoma. This discovery was detailed in an article titled “Uncovering a miltiradiene biosynthetic gene cluster in the Lamiaceae reveals a dynamic evolutionary trajectory” by Abigail E. Bryson and other researchers. The article was posted online on January 20th, 2023. We now have more understanding about genetic study of this medical condition which can be used to create better treatments and hopefully one day find a cure!
