Review: Optimizing nutrient transporters to enhance disease resistance in rice
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants rely on an array of mineral nutrients for their growth, development, and reproductive processes. The molecular mechanisms governing the uptake, translocation, storage, and utilization of these essential minerals are orchestrated by specific nutrient transporters and their associated regulatory…
Unraveling the role of tRNA thiolation in translation control for plant immunity
Plant Science Research WeeklyThiolation of tRNA adds a sulfur-containing nucleotide modification at the tRNA wobble position, which is necessary for efficient translation. Zheng et al. investigated the role of tRNA thiolation in plant immunity, revealing its necessity for robust defense responses in Arabidopsis. They identified…
Unlocking nature’s arsenal: Engineering grasses for insect defense and livestock palatability
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe defensive alkaloid gramine, present in barley and other grass species, plays an important role in protecting the plant from insect damage but poses challenges for ruminant palatability. Breeding strategies balance these factors by maintaining the protective function and making the grain palatable…
Every pair is special!
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe identification and characterization of resistosome complexes, formed by the oligomerization of intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs), has recently been a major focus in the field of plant immunity. Some NLR genes occur as head-to-head pairs encoding proteins that function…
Chemical defense: Exploring two-component plant defense mechanisms in Panax species
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn the interesting world of plant defenses, plants have secret weapons called defense metabolites that stay quiet until a pathogen comes knocking. Plants have evolved two-component chemical defence systems to protect against pathogens while striking a balance between growth promotion and defence mechanisms.…
Review: Salicylic acid in plant immunity and beyond
Plant Science Research WeeklySalicylic acid (SA) is a pivotal natural compound in plant science and finds applications in herbal medicine; specifically, aspirin, the renowned anti-inflammatory drug and pain reliever, is a derivative of SA. As summarized in this review by Spoel and Dong, within plants SA serves as a crucial phytohormone…
PSKR1 balances the plant growth–defence trade-off in the rhizosphere microbiome
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants are colonized by numerous beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere, including Pseudomonas fluorescens, that provide benefits including nutrient acquisition and pathogen protection. Host plants must tune their immune systems to restrict microbial overgrowth, while avoiding overstimulation of…
Review: Till death do us pair: Co-evolution of plant–necrotroph interactions
Plant Science Research WeeklyThis interesting and well-written review by Derbyshire and Raffaele takes a step back from the molecular interactions between plant and pathogen and discusses them in light of co-evolutionary processes. The review starts with a useful introduction and definition of concepts about “robustness” in…
Review: Challenges to improving plant growth through introduced microbes
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants are closely associated with large numbers of microbes that live in, on, and around them; these are collectively called the plant microbiota. Microbes can be pathogenic, neutral, or beneficial. Beneficial microbes might enhance nutrient uptake by the plant or suppress pathogenic microbes. There…