Roses are one of the most beautiful flowers, but they are distinguished not only by their colors and fragrance, but also by the fact that they have thorns. And probably at least once, while holding a rose in our hand, we have wondered what exactly their purpose is and why nature created them with them. Well, it’s been a mystery for centuries that seems to have been solved today.
The logical explanation of science is that the thorns serve as a defense against animals that want to eat and destroy the plant. This defense mechanism is also found in other crops – such as blackberries, for example. However, the question of how this characteristic develops in different families that arise at different times remains unanswered.
And now scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York have discovered that the presence of thorns in roses is most likely due to their DNA, and specifically to an ancient gene family known as Lonely Guy, or LOG. The genes in question have been shown to be responsible for activating the hormone cytokinin, important for basic functions at the cellular level – including division and expansion. It also plays an important role in plant growth.
In addition, scientists claim that spines have been around for at least 400 million years. Then ferns and their other relatives begin to develop similar growths on their stems. Scientists call the emergence of spines convergent evolution and associate it with adaptation to certain needs and environmental conditions.
Thorns and thorns are thought to have evolved as protection from herbivores, as well as to aid growth, competition between species, and water retention. And attempts at genetic engineering and creation of mutations leading to types of roses without thorns, once again clearly prove how important they are to the survival of the plant species, explains CNN.
Now that the genes responsible for the presence of spines have been identified, the possibility of species without them is also being created by using genome editing techniques that scientists use to modify DNA in living organisms. This can, for example, lead to easier harvesting of rosebushes, as well as easier cultivation. But we also have to think about whether roses would be just as beloved to us if they were without thorns.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/shallow-focus-photography-of-red-rose-15239/
