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Updated: Jul 18, 2025

Potato Virus X-Based microRNA Silencing VbMS In Potato.
Published on: May 11, 2020
Functional diversification of a wild potato immune receptor at its center of origin
Yerisf C Torres Ascurra1, Lisha Zhang2, AmirAli Toghani3
1Plant Breeding, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands.
Abstract:
Plant cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and intracellular immune receptors cooperate to provide immunity to microbial infection. Both receptor families have coevolved at an accelerated rate, but the evolution and diversification of PRRs is poorly understood. We have isolated potato surface receptor Pep-13 receptor unit (PERU) that senses Pep-13, a conserved immunogenic peptide pattern from plant pathogenic Phytophthora species. PERU, a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase, is a bona fide PRR that binds Pep-13 and enhances immunity to Phytophthora infestans infection. Diversification in ligand binding specificities of PERU can be traced to sympatric wild tuber-bearing Solanum populations in the Central Andes. Our study reveals the evolution of cell surface immune receptor alleles in wild potato populations that recognize ligand variants not recognized by others.
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