An Arabidopsis glycine-rich plasma membrane protein enhances disease resistance in soybean

Previously, the authors identified an Arabidopsis mutant that shows resistance to a widespread oomycete pathogen. In this new work, Wang et al. identified the Phytophthora sojae susceptible gene locus, PSS1, which encodes a plasma-membrane localized glycine-rich protein. When introduced into soybean plants, PSS1 confers enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Fusarium virguliforme, causal agent of soybean sudden death syndrome. As the authors observe, more than 80% of soybeans cultivated worldwide are already transgenic, so implementing this resistance trait should be straightforward.  (Summary by Mary Williams) Plant Physiol. 10.1104/pp.16.01982