A plant mechanism of hijacking pathogen virulence factors to trigger innate immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38359129/)

These scientists studied how a specific protein called Polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 (PvPGIP2) from a plant called Phaseolus vulgaris interacts with an enzyme called Fusarium phyllophilum polygalacturonase (FpPG) from a harmful fungus. They found that when PvPGIP2 interacts with FpPG, it can stop the enzyme activity of FpPG, which is important for the fungus to infect plants.

The interaction between PvPGIP2 and FpPG also led to the production of certain molecules called oligogalacturonides, which can help the plant's immune system fight off the fungus. The scientists discovered that this interaction changes the way FpPG works, making it produce more of the helpful oligogalacturonides and less of the harmful ones.

By studying the structure of PvPGIP2 and FpPG, the scientists were able to modify the proteins to create a new enzyme that binds better to FpPG and can help plants defend themselves better against the fungus. This research shows how plants can turn the harmful activities of pathogens into a signal to boost their defenses, and it opens up possibilities for creating new proteins that can protect plants from a wider range of pathogens.

Xiao Y., Sun G., Yu Q., Gao T., Zhu Q., Wang R., Huang S., Han Z., Cervone F., Yin H., Qi T., Wang Y., Chai J. A plant mechanism of hijacking pathogen virulence factors to trigger innate immunity. Science. 2024 Feb 16;383(6684):732-739. doi: 10.1126/science.adj9529. Epub 2024 Feb 15.