Although metagenomic sequencing has revealed a rich microbial biodiversity in the mammalian gut, methods to genetically alter specific species in the microbiome are highly limited. Here, we introduce ...

Hou et al. engineer plant endophytes to express effectors that trigger NLR-mediated ETI upon pathogen infection, regardless of whether pathogens carry recognizable effectors. The sentinel bacterium ma...

Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) formed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi interconnect neighbouring plants. New evidence from Zhang et al. demonstrates that CMNs transfer jasmonic acid from necrotroph...

Aktuelle Ausschreibungen

Microbial communities inhabiting plants have emerged as crucial factors in regulating plant health and defense against disease-causing pathogens. T...

Research Associate: Plant-fungal interactions

Abstract. Plants and microbes use many strategies to acquire soil amino acids. Recent findings suggest that genes related to amino acid metabolism and tran

Critical Thinking AI for constructive criticism and science evaluation

Receptor signalling determines cellular responses and is crucial for defining specific biological outcomes. In legume root cells, highly similar and structurally conserved chitin and Nod factor receptor kinases activate immune or symbiotic pathways, respectively, when chitinous ligands are perceived1. Here we show that specific amino acid residues in the intracellular part of the Nod factor receptor NFR1 control signalling specificity and enable the distinction of immune and symbiotic responses. Functional investigation of CERK6, NFR1 and receptor variants thereof revealed a conserved motif that we term Symbiosis Determinant 1 in the juxtamembrane region of the kinase domain, which is key for symbiotic signalling. We show that two residues in Symbiosis Determinant 1 are indispensable hallmarks of NFR1-type receptors and are sufficient to convert Lotus CERK6 and barley RLK4 kinase outputs to enable symbiotic signalling in Lotus japonicus.

The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Salt and Water Stress in Plants will be held in Les Diablerets, Vaud (fr) Switzerland. Apply today to reserve your spot.

Tartary buckwheat holds significant nutritional and health value; however, its hard seed hull limits production and economic potential. This study ide…