Plants under stress switch from photosynthesis to protein cleanup, researchers show

Plants are under constant stress due to pathogens, heat, or other environmental factors. Proteins can become damaged as a result and cell function is thrown off balance. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum working with Professor Şuayb Üstün have discovered how plant cells respond to this protein stress and selectively adjust their internal processes. The researchers show that cells under stress prioritize the breaking down of damaged proteins over energy production through photosynthesis. Their findings, published in Molecular Cell, could help make plants more robust.