Non-immunogenic bacterial epitopes mask recognition of their immunogenic counterparts
Plant Science Research WeeklyHost plants recognize diverse bacterial epitopes, known as microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), and respond with an immune reaction to control bacterial growth. However, most studies have focused on single bacterial epitopes, limiting our understanding of plant-bacteria interaction outcomes…
Leaf yellowing phenotype in rice, mediated by phytoplasma-secreted effector protein, attracts insect vectors
Plant Science Research WeeklyPhytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens that induce significant morphological changes in a host plant including prominent leaf yellowing. They are known to be transmitted by piercing-sucking insects or phloem-feeding arthropods. Phytoplasmas alter plant developmental process through specific effectors.…
Coordinated wound responses in a regenerative animal-algal holobiont
Plant Science Research WeeklyMany animals such as corals and sea slugs host photosynthetic symbionts. Several studies have investigated how the host and symbiont coordinate their activities. This new study by Sarfati et al. explores how symbiotic green algae and their animal host, the flattened-worm Convolutriloba longifissura,…
Spatial co-transcriptomics reveals discrete stages of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn recent years, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) techniques have revolutionized plant biology by enabling the identification of novel cell types, modeling developmental trajectories, and analyzing transcriptional activity at the cellular level. However,…
Review: The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment
Plant Science Research WeeklyA review of the past 50 years of plant immunity by Jones, Staskawicz, and Dangl? Yes please! I particularly enjoy historical perspectives of a discipline, as they frame conceptual breakthroughs with the benefit of hindsight. As the article lays out, understanding the plant immune system benefitted greatly…
Perspective: Exposing belowground plant communication
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants possess a fascinating ability to communicate with each other through a complex system of chemical signals. Aboveground, they use airborne volatile signals to attract predatory insects, prime defenses in neighbors, facilitate nutrient transfer, and promote plant interactions. However, less is known…
A nitrogen-fixing algal organelle
Plant Science Research Weekly
Coale et al. provide an exciting peek into the evolution of a nitrogen-fixing organelle (called a nitroplast) in their studies of a tiny marine alga, Braarudosphaera bigelowii and its endosymbiont cyanobacterium, Candidatus Atelocyanobacterium thalassa (UCYN-A). Plant biologists are familiar with…
SWEET sugar transporters orchestrate distribution of microbiota along the root longitudinal axis
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant roots are functionally distinct along the longitudinal axis due to different cell types and diverse metabolic states. Root-secreted metabolites are involved in the assembly of complex microbial communities, yet the relationships between root-metabolites and organization of root microbiota at the…
Hidden influence: How microbial stress responses shape plant natural selection
Plant Science Research WeeklySoil microbial communities respond rapidly to stress, potentially leading to altered compositions in stressful environments and consequently impacting plant natural selection. Bolin and Lau investigated the influence of microbial responses to stress and persistent microbial legacy effects on plant selection.…