A newly defined biochemical pathway in plants may provide the scientific tools to design plants that will yield larger quantities of alternative transportation fuels than currently can be produced, according to Purdue University researchers.

They discovered that a protein called “SPIKE1” directs the protein signaling pathway. SPIKE1 is a master regulator of many growth control pathways.

They demonstrated that one of SPIKE1’s functions is to control production of actin filament, which defines localized cell regions for delivery and recycling of growth materials.