Extensive inter-plant protein transfer between Cuscuta parasites and their host plants (Mol. Plant)

Cuscuta (dodders) are parasites that survive on other host plants.Liu et al. found more than 1500 proteins are transferred between Cucuta and host plants forming a sort of interplant chemical communication. Furthermore, proteins could move between two hosts that are connected by dodder bridges, and retain their activity in the foreign plants. These transferred proteins can be as much as 10% of the proteome of the foreign plant. This work also reveals extensive transfer of protein among cells, tissues and organs, which may be a requirement for regulating the growth and development of the plant in response to environmental conditions.  (Summary by Arun Shankar @arunshanker) Mol. Plant 10.1016/j.molp.2019.12.002