Broad-spectrum resistance genes are highly valuable for sustainable crop protection, yet the molecular basis of their activity is often unknown. The Pm3 allelic series in wheat encodes NLR receptors t...

The evolutionary diversification of an exocyst subunit was enabled by electrostatic shifts leading to its dissociation from the ancestral complex.

Plants truly do not have an easy life. They are exposed to multiple stresses around the clock, including climatic extremes and numerous pathogens. Stressed

Abstract. Horizontal gene transfers (HGT) have been observed across the tree of life. While their adaptive importance in bacteria is conspicuous, the occur

Land plants include angiosperms, gymnosperms, bryophytes, lycophytes, and ferns, each of which may deploy distinct strategies to resist pathogens. Here, we investigate fern-pathogen interactions by characterizing novel pathosystems and analyzing the diversity of fern immune receptors. A collection of fern species was inoculated with a diverse set of filamentous microbes, and disease symptoms were assessed. We further leveraged published genome mining tools to analyse the diversity of receptor-like kinases, receptor-like proteins (RLKs/RLPs) and nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeats (NLRs), along with key immune signalling components, in ferns. Our results reveal that ferns exhibit a range of responses to pathogens, including putative non-host resistance and more specific resistance mechanisms. Among ten ferns tested, Pteris vittata displays the broadest spectrum of pathogen compatibility. Genome mining indicates that ferns encode a diverse repertoire of putative immune receptors, antimicrobial peptides, and mediators of systemic acquired resistance. Ferns possess numerous RLKs/RLPs, resembling those required for cell-surface immunity in angiosperms. They also encode diverse NLRs, including sub-families lost in flowering plants. These findings provide insights into disease resistance evolution and open promising perspectives for crop protection strategies.

Nature Plants - Rapid discovery of functional resistance genes is enabled by a high-expression signature and high-throughput transformation. This approach identified 31 new resistance genes for...

And the end of civilisation

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can interconnect the roots of individual plants by forming common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). These symbiotic structures can act as conduits for interplant communication. Despite their importance, the mechanisms of signal transfer via CMNs and their implications for plant community performance remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that CMNs act as a pathway to elicit defense responses in healthy receiver plants connected to pathogen-infected donors. Specifically, we show that donor plants infected by the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea transfer jasmonic acid via CMNs, which then act as a chemical signal in receiver plants. This signal transfer to receiver plants induces shifts in root exudates, promoting the recruitment of specific microbial taxa (Streptomyces and Actinoplanes) that are directly linked to the suppression of B. cinerea infection. Collectively, our study reveals that CMNs act as interplant chemical communication conduits, transferring signals that contribute to plant disease resistance via modulation of the rhizosphere microbiota.

Bacterial phytopathogens are major causal agents of newly emerging plant diseases. The roles of both agricultural practices and the alteration of bact…

Post-drought rehydration triggers a preventive immune response in plants, revealing targets to enhance crop resilience by linking drought stress recovery with improved pathogen resistance.

Post GPT-5, the narrative has flipped — and that could hurt them

Recently, I exchanged views with a prominent Ivy League scientist who was complaining about the minority students and junior faculty applying to his program. He claimed that the university, through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, was ...