This is my understanding. If it is wrong, please correct me.
So animals have an adaptive immune system where when they come into contact with a foreign substance they create antibodies to it and these antibodies are very specific to the target. Foreign substances tagged with these antibodies are subject to destruction via natural killer cells, macrophages, etc ...
However, plants do not have antibody production so they should not be able to recognize foreign threats (at least in the specific way that animals do). Plants suffer from many diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. But not all plants die from the constant exposure to these microorganisms, therefore plants must have some kind of immune system. How do plants protect themselves if they can not recognize disease causing agents?
I have read that plants can produce antibodies through the use of recombinant DNA technology of an animal derived antibody transformed into the plant cells. But I don't believe plants can be trained though exposure to produce antibodies.
Hmm ...
Plants also have an immune system. They can recognize microbial- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (MAMPS or PAMPs), such as flagellin. Plants even can inform each other from the presence of herbivorous insects or animals with secretion of some gaseous molecules to active their anti-herbivore responses.
For more information, see the following article.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05286
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_disease_resistance
Plant disease resistance protects plants from pathogens in two ways: by pre-formed structures and chemicals, and by infection-induced responses of the immune system. Relative to a susceptible plant, disease resistance is the reduction of pathogen growth on or in the plant (and hence a reduction of disease), while the term disease tolerance describes plants that exhibit little disease damage despite substantial pathogen levels. Disease outcome is determined by the three-way interaction of the pathogen, the plant and the environmental conditions (an interaction known as the disease triangle).
Defense-activating compounds can move cell-to-cell and systematically through the plant's vascular system. However, plants do not have circulating immune cells, so most cell types exhibit a broad suite of antimicrobial defenses. Although obvious qualitative differences in disease resistance can be observed when multiple specimens are compared (allowing classification as “resistant” or “susceptible” after infection by the same pathogen strain at similar inoculum levels in similar environments), a gradation of quantitative differences in disease resistance is more typically observed between plant strains or genotypes. Plants consistently resist certain pathogens but succumb to others; resistance is usually specific to certain pathogen species or pathogen strains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantibody
A plantibody is an antibody that is produced by plants that have been genetically engineered with animal DNA. An antibody (also known as an immunoglobulin) is a complex protein within the body that recognizes antigens on viruses and other dangerous compounds in order to alert the immune system that there are pathogens within the body.[1] The transgenic plants become transformed with the DNA and produce antibodies that are similar to those inserted. The term plantibody and the concept are trademarked by the company Biolex.
Sometimes plants will produce salicylic acid, it is the parent compound of aspirin and it is a very, very powerful inducer of resistance. So if plants are producing salicylic acid, they are better able to fight off perhaps the first pathogen to attack them unremarkably they're able to fight off possibly lots of other types of pathogen as well: Reference, John Carr from the Department of Plant and Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-41582001000300001
Different types of disease resistance with detailed concepts are given in the above link
Plants also have an immune system. They can recognize microbial- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (MAMPS or PAMPs), such as flagellin. Plants even can inform each other from the presence of herbivorous insects or animals with secretion of some gaseous molecules to active their anti-herbivore responses.
For more information, see the following article.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05286
Amended on 5 November 2018
Plant has Insulin degrading enzyme/IDE/Insulinase in order to cut or degrade the invading microbes. IDE in humans seems to be not the enzyme for Insulin, which is absent in humans, but to be a defence protein against microbes or the component of Innate Immune system. Plant has Ubiquitin-proteasome system as animals have. Plant Ubiquitin may smilarly working against invation to invading microbes as in animals. Therefore, plant may not produce such an high cost Immunogloblins.
Plant and animal have Agglutinins/Lectins, which may be working as Immunoglobulins such as IgG. Agglutinins/Lectins are rich in beans, and we must cook the beans before eating. Binding mechanism of IgG to antigen may be similar to Lectin; i.e., glycochains may be working between interaction of molecules.
Plant of Tobacco produces Nicotine as an insecticide, which humans enjoy very much. I have recognized that nicotine may be similarly effectively working against microbes in also the humans. Thus, American Indian has long been realized that Tobacco is the drugs for common cold, it has been reported recently that Tobacco is the drug against the Influenza virus (Flus) (please see file; Tobacco FluA).
Tea and Coffee bean of plant have Caffeine as an insecticide, which humans also enjoy very much.
I recently have recognized that Immunoglobulins are not so specific and/or effective tools to resist to microbes, and humans frequently get diseases via invation of microbes (please see file; Feed by Measure).
Fucoidan (sulphated poly-L-fucose; poly-α(1→3) linked L-fucose or alternating poly-α (1→3) and α(1→4) linked L-fucose) product of Brown algae "Mozuku" is an effective anti-microbe drug, which has been applied to cure liver cancer (please see files; Rat DEN Np-Fuco and HepG2 fucoidan). Plant has cellulose (poly-β(1→4) linked D-glucose) to prevent invation of microbes, but cellulose can not be work as fucoidan. This is why plant components can not be cancer drugs, and Fucoidan is the unique anti-cancer drug.
Further, I would like to add my experience. Invation of microbes in order to get biotin (vitamin H) is very high speedy. I have found that biotin concentration in the cancer liver increases considerably as compared to normal liver (please see Table VIII of file; Anticancer Res). It is noteworthy that this 3-fold difference in biotin concentrations in the liver has disappeared completely after 3 hours of death at room temperature (my unpublished observation).
Furthermore, I have searched the defending proteins among my protein database. I have unexpectedly found that Immunoglobulins are not the main defence protein even in humans. I am very grateful to Dr. Adron Ung (Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA) for leading me to this important result.
Fetal hepatocyte Hc has Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L2/Latrophilin-2/lectomedin-1 at 5.3, and Early activation antigen CD69/Activation inducer molecule at 8.2 μg/mg cell protein, respectively.
Hepatoma HepG2 has Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (Newcastle disease virus/NDV) at 1.6, CD5 antigen-like/IgM-associated peptide at 1.3, Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule/DSCAM at 6.8, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TRIM33/Transcription intermediary factor 1-gamma/Tripartite motif-containing protein 28 at 3.9, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase RNF123/RING finger protein 123 at 3.4, F-box only protein 46/SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein)-type at 1.6, Nucleotide-binding site protein 1 at 2.7, Tankyrase-1 at 1.9, and Zinc finger Ran-binding domain-containing protein 1/Ubiquitin thioesterase ZRANB1 at 0.76 μg/mg cell protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 23.96 μg/mg cell protein.
Healed hepatocyte HepG2 (treated with fucoidan at 0.102 mg/mL for 3 days) has Hemagglutinin (Influenza A virus/FluA) at 0.4, 26S Protease regulatory subunit 6B/Tat-binding protein 7/Proteasome 26S subunit ATPase 4 at 1.4, Aggrecan core protein at 3.5, Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 6/Ubiquitin-conjugating BIR domain enzyme apollon at 3.9, Deubiquitinating enzyme 19 at 10.7, Deubiquitinating enzyme 29 at 1.5, HIV-1 Nef-interacting protein/TNFAIP3-interacting protein 1/Virion-associated nuclear shuttling protein at 4.1, Lamp-1/Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 at 0.21, Leukemia-associated protein 5/E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TRIM13/RING finger protein 77 at 0.51, Proteasome subunit beta type-1/Macropain subunit C5 at 0.26, Melanoma-associated antigen D4 at 1.2, Monocyte differentiation antigen CD14 at 0.96, Sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin 8 at 0.7, Stabilin-1/Fasciclin, EGF-like, laminin-type EGF-like and link domain-containing scavenger receptor 1 at 10.1, and TNF receptor-associated factor 2/Tumor necrosis factor type 1 receptor-associated protein 2/26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 2/Protein 55.11 at 1.05 μg/mg cell protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 40.49 μg/mg cell protein.
Liver tissue (with pseudo liver cancer) has Hemagglutinin (Influenza A virus/FluA) at 3.1, E3 Ubiquitin protein ligase Praja-1/RING finger protein 70/PJA1 at 21.1, TAT-binding protein-1/TBP-1/26S protease regulatory subunit 6A at 2.3, and Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 36/Ubiquitin thioesterase 36 at 7.4 μg/mg tissue protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 33.9 μg/mg tissue protein.
LC tissue (with leprosy) has Hemagglutinin (VACV) at 2.6, DNA topoisomerase I at 7.3, Ubl conjugation Haptoglobin-2 at 2.4, Interferon alpha-14/Interferon lambda-2-H at 1.3, Interleukin-32/Natural killer cells protein 4 at 1.5, and Protein MSS1/26S protease regulatory subunit 7 at 2.1 μg/mg tissue protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 17.2 μg/mg tissue protein.
HCC tissue (with PBC) has Hemagglutinin (Influenza A virus/FluA) at 1.9, Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (Newcastle disease virus/NDV) at 3.0, Interferon beta/Fibroblast interferon at 1.4, NK-tumor recognition protein/Natural-killer cells cyclophilin-related protein/NK-TR at 0.67, and Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L3/Ubiquitin thioesterase L3 at 3.0 μg/mg tissue protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 9.97 μg/mg tissue protein.
LC tissue (named as No.6, who has survived) has Insulin-degrading enzyme /Insulinase/IDE at 4.0, Ubiquitin-40S ribosomal protein S27a/40S ribosomal protein S27A at 0.09, Interleukin-1 alpha/IL-1 alpha at 2.1, and Ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1/Ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 1/A1S9 protein at 1.1 μg/mg tissue protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 7.29 μg/mg tissue protein.
HCC tissue (No.6) has Breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein/RING finger protein 53/RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferase BRCA1 at 7.4, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase CBL/Proto-oncogene c-CBL at 1.4, Insulin-degrading enzyme/Insulinase/IDE at 13.3, Interferon-alpha receptor /IFN-alpha-Rec at 0.41, Leukocyte common antigen/Receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C/CD45/L-CA at 3.55, Merlin/Schwannomin/Moesin-ezrin-radixin-like protein at 0.29, and Parathymosin at 0.54 μg/mg tissue protein, respectively. Total defence proteins becomes to be 26.95 μg/mg tissue protein.
By the way, I have recently found that serum of aged persons contains more membrane proteins than young persons (please see file; JMBT alopecia) (our unpublished result). Therefore, aged persons should take more meat and fish than young persons in order to resist againt invading microbes. Thus, the vegetarianism is not good for aged persons.
Based on my own experience grew up in a farm, I noticed many of the agricultural crops are very susceptible to all kinds of diseases. A farmer needs to spend a lot of money buying diffrent types of pesticides and fungascides in order to keep the plants healty and productive. If we compare a similar plant species in two environments; one growing in wild conditions (never been sprayed with any chemical) and another growing in a farm (therefore subjected to chemical treatment), it is a bit of surprise to find out that the one growing in the wild condition, can live longer and free from the diseases affecting its sibling growing in the farm. What does this tell us??
This is just my educated guess, not even fit to be call a humble hypothesis. The way plants acquire good health is not the same as mammals or insects do. The health of a given plant might be depending on its environments, which after few million of years already reach a certain balance - the balance of nature. Thus, certain fungus for example, affecting a given plant may be killed by other species of microbes - this is quite a well known example of bio-pest control. Once we introduce certain chemical treatment in order to kill certain fungus, the chemical also kill various other microbes, and thus disrupting the balance of nature, which has been acquired over million of years of evolution.
The balance of nature can also be seen its impact on human health. For erxample, those rural folks staying in the jungles of Borneo, eating natural foods most of the time, tend to stay longer and healty ( with very little chronic diseases, e.g., diabetes, hypertension, heart problem, etc.), compared to those living in the cities. A 90 years old man living in a rural environment can even outrun a 60 years old man living in a city. What a pity:)
The reality might be that we dont even need much of chemical treatment if our natural environments can be kept healthy. But then, if this is achievable many big pharmeceutical companies will end in bankrupcy. It is a disturbing fact to find out that, one fast food company creates millions of obese men and women, while another creating an antidode to combat the obesity....both companies earning billions of dollar every year. Who suffer?
Hi Dear Adron Ung,
Plants also have an innate immune system eqquiped equipped with 'plant defensins'. which are ubiquitously produced. Plant defensins are a class of small cationic proteins (around 5kDa) rich in cysteines and showing antimicrobial activities against bacteria, fungi. Defensins are safe to mammals and birds, and can used as a replacement for fungicides.
Genetic engineering can be used to create plants with high resistance to disease
Plants resist diseases with the help of secondary metabolites they produce or secret.
John Carr from the Department of Plant and Sciences at the University of Cambridge:John - Most microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses can't infect the plant. But some through evolution, have gained the ability to break down the initial barriers to infection such as cell walls and so on and these can cause disease. Now in response the plants have evolved the ability to respond to and recognize particular types of pathogens. So, that's why some plants have resistance genes and these is a sort of genetic mechanism of allowing them to pass on the ability to fight off particular diseases. Now when this occurs, you might find that the cells which are initially infected with a virus or a bacteria or fungus actually commit suicide. And this is one way of creating a kind of a scorch earth against the pathogen but also it's a way of creating signals, lots more interesting chemicals that float out through the plant tissue
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