A new study has identified some important properties of a specific protein in soil, which behaves in a very particular way. Let’s dive into a still unexplored world.
Maybe few of you know it, but after World Mental Health Day, yesterday December 5th was the world soil day. This day was born precisely with the aim of placing greater attention on this element which is as essential as it is underestimated by all of us. So let’s see why a recent discovery is even more important.
Considering that about a quarter of all known living organisms live in the soil that we walk on every day, the research that comes directly from the United States and published in Natures, looks decidedly innovative. Indeed, it has placed the spotlight on the surprising role of the chitosanasethat is one mysterious protein produced by a virus which would be the basis of some fundamental processes that take place in the soil.
Everything would start from chitin which is the decomposed product of chitosanase itself, present for example in the exoskeletons of insects. Precisely thanks to this substance, chemical reactions would be triggered which they would make her look like a garden hoetherefore going to prepare the ground for any vegetables and trees.
Furthermore, after looking at thousands of high-resolution images, the experts found that the atomic structure of chitosanase was similar to that of a group of enzymes that metabolize carbohydrates. Probably this additional knowledge could be applied in various fields, such as in cultivating plants on lunar soil. We just have to wait for new research on the so mysterious and still little known world that lives under our feet.
