An activated wheat CC
Guo G, Zhao H, Bai K, Lu J, Wu Q
Plant Signaling
Wheat rust and other fungal blights can wipe out entire fields in weeks — understanding exactly how wheat flips its immune system on opens a direct path to breeding varieties that hold the line without fungicide.
Plants have built-in alarm systems — special proteins that detect invading germs and trigger a defense response. Researchers figured out the precise shape and movement of one of these alarm proteins in wheat when it switches from 'off' to 'on.' Knowing this molecular detail makes it much easier to engineer or breed wheat plants with stronger, more reliable disease resistance.
Key Findings
A wheat CC-type NLR immune receptor was caught in its activated state, revealing its three-dimensional structure when switched on
The coiled-coil (CC) domain undergoes a conformational change upon activation, forming a specific shape required to trigger immune signaling
This structural blueprint is conserved across plant NLR receptors, suggesting findings apply broadly beyond wheat to other crops
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered how a wheat immune protein physically activates to defend against disease, revealing the molecular 'on switch' for a key class of plant immune receptors.
Abstract Preview
Nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors are widespread intracellular immune sensors across kingdoms. Plant G10-type coiled-coil (CC
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