The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38670067/)

These scientists wanted to learn more about how plants protect themselves from diseases. They knew that plant diseases can cause famines and other problems for people who rely on crops for food. The scientists looked at how plants have evolved over millions of years to fight off diseases.

They found that plants have special receptors that can recognize when harmful microbes try to invade them. These receptors can detect specific patterns or molecules that the microbes produce. When the receptors sense a threat, they activate the plant's defense system to fight off the disease.

By understanding how these plant immune systems work, the scientists hope to develop ways to make plants even better at protecting themselves from diseases. This could help farmers grow healthier crops and ensure that we have enough food to eat in the future.

Jones JDG., Staskawicz BJ., Dangl JL. The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment. Cell. 2024 Apr 25;187(9):2095-2116. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.045.