Tuning plant defenses in a changing world
Jia-Yi Wu1, Guang-Can Zhou2, Zhen Li3
1College of Horticulture, Bioinformatics Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210014, China.
Trends in Plant Science
|June 4, 2025
Summary
Plant immune receptors decrease as pathogen threats lessen, a pattern observed across species. This evolution involves the loss of nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs), revealing mechanisms of immune reduction.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Plant immunity relies on immune receptors to detect pathogens.
- Evolutionary pressures can shape the repertoire of plant immune genes.
- Nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) are key components of plant immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary patterns of plant immune receptors under varying pathogen pressure.
- To uncover the molecular mechanisms driving the reduction of immune receptors in plants.
- To understand the convergent evolution of plant immune system reduction.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomics
- Intergenomic synteny analysis
- Phylogenetic analysis
Main Results:
- Reduced pathogen pressure correlates with a convergent reduction in immune receptor genes across plant lineages.
- Recurrent losses of nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) were identified.
- Intergenomic synteny analysis revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying immune receptor gene loss.
Conclusions:
- Plant immune systems are dynamic and adapt to environmental pressures, including pathogen prevalence.
- The loss of NLRs is a significant evolutionary pathway for immune reduction in plants.
- Understanding these mechanisms provides insights into plant-pathogen interactions and immune evolution.
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