Microbe

Activating the expression of host susceptibility (S) genes is one of the strategies plant pathogens employed to promote infection of their host. Here, the authors show that targeted methylation at the TAL20 effector binding element of the cassava SWEET10a gene lead to resistance to Xanthomonas phaseoli.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is involved in defence against herbivores. Once the plant is attacked, the memory of aggression can linger for weeks, including in newly formed leaves. The authors investigate what the induced changes in the transcriptome and methylome are, and uncouple short- and long-term effects of JA.

A structural analysis focusing on plant immunity reveals how LRR-containing receptor-like proteins recognize pathogenic ligands and consequently become activated, with the data suggesting that these proteins target pathogens through two different mechanisms.

A transcriptome time course of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) infection reveals nuclear genes encoding chloroplast-localized proteins are manipulated during infection and highlights TaCSP41a disruption as a target for resistance breeding.