Effector-Dependent and -Independent Molecular Mechanisms of Soybean-Microbe Interaction

Soybean is a pivotal staple crop worldwide, supplying the main food and feed plant proteins in some countries. In addition to interacting with mutualistic microbes, soybean also needs to protect itself against pathogens. However, to grow inside plant tissues, plant defense mechanisms ranging from passive barriers to induced defense reactions have to be overcome. Pathogenic but also symbiotic micro-organisms effectors can be delivered into the host cell by secretion systems and can interfere with the immunity system and disrupt cellular processes. This review summarizes the latest advances in our understanding of the interaction between secreted effectors and soybean feedback mechanism and uncovers the conserved and special signaling pathway induced by pathogenic soybean cyst nematode, Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas as well as by symbiotic rhizobium.