Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
10.4
Conclusions and Future Prospects
Thestudyofplantcellcommunicationsandsignalingmechanismsisinher-
ently problematic. Signaling molecules are highly reactive, present in small
concentrations and have short lifetimes within tissues. Similarly, receptors
of signals within plants can be unstable, short-lived and highly reactive.
A variety of specific signals, amplification mechanisms, ion channels and
gene transcriptions are likely involved in any morphological change. Fre-
quently we are left to interpret the morphological outcome of a cascade
of metabolic reactions as the result of a single induction and the various
regulatory events at different steps in the metabolic cascade remain un-
defined. This is the case with many of the auxin- or cytokinin-induced
morphological responses. The advent of new technologies makes possible
the generation of metabolic snapshots at specific points in time and will
help in the generation of a clearer picture of the metabolic events in plant
growth, development and morphogenesis. However, there is a need for bet-
ter model systems and new approaches to plant development research that
aremoreinclusiveofintercellularsignalinginplants.Together,thedevel-
opment of new technologies and new model systems will allow for rapid
advancements in the next decade that will further our understanding of the
role of neurologically active compounds in plants. It is likely that mecha-
nisms of circadian rhythms are highly conserved across species and will be
found to profoundly influence plant life. Similarly, many of the compounds
currently considered to be secondary metabolites may actually be essential
for the growth and development of plants and for plant survival. Finally,
metabolome analysis of higher plants is revealing more chemical diversity
than was anticipated and will continue to provide novel compounds for
prevention and treatment of neurological disorders.
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Banack SA, Cox PA (2003b) Biomagnification of cycad neurotoxins in flying foxes: implica-
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