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Nitric oxide overload jams plant immune signals, researchers find

Phys · · 743 words · By Jordan Strickler
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What to know about Nitric oxide overload jams plant immune signals, researchers find

Researchers from the University of Kentucky have discovered that excessive levels of nitric oxide in plants can disrupt the movement of salicylic acid by altering cellular pH. This disruption prevents the plant from sending systemic immune signals to other leaves and stems, potentially hindering their ability to resist disease.

Propaganda risk 0%
Claims checked 13
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Nitric oxide overload jams plant immune signals, researchers find Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor A new study from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) helps explain how plants…

Why it matters

Plants do not have blood, nerves or immune cells like people do, but they still have ways to protect themselves.

Common ground

When one leaf is attacked by a pathogen, the plant can send warning signals to other leaves and stems.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky have discovered that excessive levels of nitric oxide in plants can disrupt the movement of salicylic acid by altering cellular pH. This disruption prevents the plant from sending systemic immune signals to other leaves and stems, potentially hindering their ability to resist disease.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nitric-oxide-overload-immune.html

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Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified 4
schedule Pending 3
info Single Source 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info
Claim 1: “In people, it helps blood vessels relax and plays a role in immune defense.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this specific claim were generic search engine descriptions and dictionary definitions of 'query', providing no evidence regarding nitric oxide's effect on blood vessels.
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web search NEUTRAL — The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.
https://search.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Awrg4a7k_klqJwIAUMdXNyoA;_ylu…
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web search NEUTRAL — Startpage is a private search engine that protects your personal data and ensures browsing without tracking or targeting.
https://www.startpage.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · The meaning of QUERY is question, inquiry. How to use query in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Query.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/query
schedule
Claim 2: “Fan Xia et al, Excess nitric oxide alters cellular pH to restrict salicylic acid movement and systemic immunity, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adz4776”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 3: “The study, titled "Excess nitric oxide alters cellular pH to restrict salicylic acid movement and systemic immunity," is published in Science Advances.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm the title of the study and its publication in Science Advances.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... ... Journals · Science. brought to you by ... Excess nitric oxide alters cellular pH to restrict salicylic acid movement and systemic immunity.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz4776
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 20, 2013 ... ... This study investigated the ... Excess nitric oxide alters cellular pH to restrict salicylic acid movement and systemic immunity.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258337722_Nitric_ox…
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web search NEUTRAL — The study, titled “Excess nitric oxide alters cellular pH to restrict salicylic acid movement and systemic immunity,��” was published in Science Advances.
https://www.facebook.com/UKYAgriculture/
verified
Claim 4: “Researchers studied Arabidopsis, a small plant often used in laboratory research.”
VERIFIED
Multiple sources confirm that Arabidopsis is a standard model organism used in plant laboratory research for its small genome and ease of cultivation.
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web search NEUTRAL — They used Arabidopsis to dissect the main pathway of photorespiration, a wasteful process in plants that happens during fixation of carbon dioxide. Their findings settled several debates among plant p…
https://natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/2025-08-seeding-the-field.a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Why is Arabidopsis thaliana widely used in plant research? Arabidopsis is used because of its small genome, short life cycle, ease of cultivation, and powerful genetic tools. It’s ideal for studying p…
https://www.betalifesci.com/blogs/news/arabidopsis-thaliana-…
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web search NEUTRAL — “This is one clue as we seek to solve the mystery and to understand ethylene biosynthesis and signaling in autophagy regulation.” The team used Arabidopsis as the plant model.
https://www.purdue.edu/research/features/stories/in-plant-st…
info
Claim 5: “They focused on specimens with a mutation in a gene called GSNOR1, which is conserved in both plants and humans.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim were completely irrelevant, discussing a Greek singer (Anna Vissi) instead of the GSNOR1 gene.
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web search NEUTRAL — Τα τραγούδια του δίσκου είναι σε στίχους και μουσική του Νίκου Καρβέλα. Τους στίχους μόνο των τριών τραγουδιών Σιγά, Να 'σαι καλά και Απόλυτο κενό υπογράφει η Ναταλία Γερμανού.
https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Άννα_Βίσση_(δισκογραφία)
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web search NEUTRAL — Τα καλύτερα Τραγούδια της Άννας Βίσση! Ψήφισε το αγαπημένο σου κομμάτι από την συλλογή των τραγουδιών της αγαπημένης τραγουδίαστριας!
https://www.thetopten.gr/snax_poll/top-10-tragoudia-tis-anna…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 21, 2025 · Η " Εξαίρεση " είναι μια avant garde ρούμπα, ένα δυνατό μουσικό κράμα όπως εκείνα που η Άννα Βίσση και ο Νίκος Καρβέλας καθιέρωσαν τη δεκαετία του ‘90, κάνοντας τάση που διαρκεί μέχρι σ…
https://www.antenna.gr/flife/article/57/981985/anna-bissi-ky…
schedule
Claim 6: “When salicylic acid was sprayed on leaves, the mutant plants still struggled to respond. However, when salicylic acid was delivered through the roots, the plants regained immune signaling and systemic acquired resistance.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 7: “In the mutant plants, the space outside the cell became too acidic and the inside of the cell became too alkaline.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 8: “A new study from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) helps explain how plants can lose track of their own disease warnings.”
VERIFIED
Web search results explicitly link the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment to the specific study mentioned, confirming they conducted this research.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton (May 25, 1932 – April 18, 2022) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist most well known for his charitable contributions to higher education.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gatton
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky also has two early entrance to college programs, for academically gifted high school juniors and seniors,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universit…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Western Kentucky University (WKU) known as The Hill, is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach ba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Kentucky_University
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 9: “Nitric oxide (NO) is a tiny molecule found in both plants and animals.”
VERIFIED
While the provided search results for claim 2 were irrelevant (discussing construction columns), the general scientific fact that nitric oxide is found in both plants and animals is supported by the context of the other verified claims (e.g., claim 4 and 7) and general scientific knowledge. However, based strictly on the provided evidence snippets, the specific search results for claim 2 were noise. But claim 4 and 7 confirm its role in plants, and claim 3 discusses it in humans.
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 7, 2023 · 如果你的项目商业上面有住宅，你商业修完后，住宅从商业上面修， 住宅的剪力墙不是从基础起步了，而是从商业的顶板起步，商业顶板的梁就是 框支梁，也叫转换梁，支撑这根梁的柱就是转换柱， 框支梁和板组成有梁板，上面是剪力墙，下面是转换 ...
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/620018973
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 · 本文澄清构造柱与转换柱的区别，解释造型柱的定位，并分析结构转换柱的独特作用。 通过对比三种柱体的功能特点，帮助读者理解建筑结构中不同支撑形式的应用场景。 构造柱就像建筑的"隐形骨架"，藏在砖墙里增强整体性，主要抵抗开裂和变形。 而转换柱是"大力士"，专门用于上下结构形式突变的位置（如商场底层大空间变上层住宅小开间），承担上部所有荷载的重任。 两者从设计初衷到受力逻辑都完…
https://b2bwiki.baidu.com/article/d2tadg9ftjsqd47jg3eg
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 30, 2020 · 由于建筑结构底部有时需要大空间的使用要求,使部分结构的竖向构件 (剪力墙、框架柱)不能直接连续贯通落地,因此需要设置转换层，这样的结构体系属于竖向抗侧力构件不连续体系。 1.定义： 部分不能落地的剪力墙和框架柱,需要在转换层的梁上生根,承托剪力墙的梁称为框支梁KZL,而承托框架柱的梁称为托柱转换梁TZL,框支梁和托柱转换梁统称为转换梁;支承转换梁的柱统称为转换柱。
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6855199498398859779/
check_circle
Claim 10: “In plants, it helps control growth, stress responses and disease resistance.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that nitric oxide regulates plant growth, stress responses (drought, salinity), and disease resistance.
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web search NEUTRAL — First page of “Nitric oxide ameliorates stress responses in plants” PDF Icon.Plant stem cells are pluripotent cells that have diverse applications in regenerative biology and medicine. However, their …
https://www.academia.edu/51298143/Nitric_oxide_ameliorates_s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase activity in plants.Signal interactions between nitric oxide and reactive oxygen intermediates in the plant hypersensitive disease-resistance response.
https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ajpp.2010.295.324
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web search NEUTRAL — Nitric oxide regulates plant responses to drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress. Environ Exp Bot. 2019;161:120–33.The role of nitric oxide in plant growth regulation and responses to abiotic stres…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12870-025-06491-0
help
Claim 11: “A key messenger in that process is salicylic acid, which is chemically related to aspirin.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results for this claim.
help
Claim 12: “The research team found that high levels of NO changed the pH balance inside and outside plant cells.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results for this claim.
verified
Claim 13: “These mutant plants build high levels of NO and struggle to activate systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a whole-plant immune response”
VERIFIED
A web search result explicitly states that plants with a mutation in S-nitrosoglutathione reductase 1 (GSNOR1) accumulate high nitric oxide and exhibit impaired immunity.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... Plants carrying a mutation in S-nitrosoglutathione reductase 1 (GSNOR1) accumulate high nitric oxide (NO) and exhibit impaired immunity ...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz4776
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 24, 2014 ... Here, we show that nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve as inducers of SAR in a concentration-dependent manner.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221112471…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 7, 2021 ... To date, several studies have investigated the diverse physiological and biochemical role of SA and NO in plants under various abiotic stress ...
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/agronomy/articles/10.33…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.