Tag: Biotic Interactions

The role of the chloroplast extends far beyond hosting photosynthesis; these organelles also serve as a regulatory hub for plant immunity. As a result, many plant pathogens, such as the barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) have evolved strategies to circumvent this immunity and exploit the chloroplast as…

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi trade soil phosphate for plant carbon at arbuscules, the short-lived, branched hyphal structures they build inside root cortical cells, but how phosphate uptake is coordinated across this constantly changing interface has been hard to observe. McGaley et al. used non-invasive,…

Over millions of years, plants and pathogens have been engaged in an evolutionary war. As plants adopt new defense systems to protect themselves, pathogens evolve strategies to fight back. A well-characterized pathogen strategy is to secrete effectors that target plant defenses. Although protein effectors…

Endophytic bacteria and fungi, the invisible allies within plant tissues, are emerging as powerful contributors to sustainable agriculture. They can enhance plant defense through multiple mechanisms, including antibiosis, niche competition, and the induction of systemic resistance, thereby reducing reliance…

Plant pathogens are skilled manipulators, using specialized molecular weapons to weaken plant defenses and establish infection. Traditionally, scientists have focused on secreted proteins, known as effectors, that help pathogens suppress plant immune responses. But recent discoveries show that fungal…

Community and ecosystem ecology are the main pillars of agroecology. Plants exude various chemicals from their roots to communicate with  belowground microorganisms to boost productivity. This article by Urcelay et al. offers a new perspective to understand the interaction between plants and arbuscular…

Plant roots exude organic compounds such as benzoxazinoids (BXs) to the surrounding soil. BXs modulate soil microbiota, which in turn regulate plant growth. In this study, Stengele et al. show that BX-modulated soil microbiota also promote plant immunity. The authors first pretreated soil with BXs by…

Rhizobial symbiosis requires communication and recognition between the plant host and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria. When successful, plant root hairs reorganize their membranes and form specialized infection threads through which the rhizobia enter the root and initiate nodules. In new work, Qiao et…