LYS12 LysM receptor decelerates Phytophthora palmivora disease progression in Lotus japonicus

It might sound odd, but so far it was hard to find a nice pathogen infecting model legume plants. Fuechtbauer and colleagues showed the capacity of an oomycete (Phytophtora palmivora) to infect Lotus japonicus and describe how a LysM receptor, LYS12, is partly mediating this plant-microbe interaction. Usually, plant responses to pathogens depend on recognition of a pathogen-associated molecular pattern, such as chitin or flagellin. Interestingly Phytophtora palmivora does not present any detectable chitin monomer (in vitro or in infected roots) and therefore the authors speculate that LYS12 could mediate broad-spectrum plant immunity responses. (Summary by Marco Giovanetti) Plant J. 10.1111/tpj.13785