The RLK7-MPK3/6-LEAFY PETIOLE signaling axis mediates growth inhibition during PIP peptide-induced immunity in Arabidopsis.
Thu Nguyen U, Sun Kim J, Young Kang N, Wook Jeon B, Kim M
Plant Signaling
Tomatoes, lettuce, and most crops quietly stunt their own roots every time they detect a pathogen — this research pinpoints the exact off-switch that could let breeders grow plants that stay disease-resistant without the growth penalty.
When plants sense bacteria or other threats, they release small chemical signals that tell the rest of the plant to stop growing roots and focus on defense. Scientists traced exactly how that stop-signal travels inside the plant — through a chain of proteins ending at a master switch called LEAFY PETIOLE. When they removed that switch, plants kept their defenses up but grew normally again, suggesting we could breed crops that don't have to choose between staying healthy and growing big.
Key Findings
Applying PIP1/2 defense peptides to Arabidopsis suppressed lateral root development and seedling growth through a three-protein signaling chain: RLK7 → MPK3/6 → LEAFY PETIOLE (LEP).
Plants with mutations knocking out the prePIP1 or prePIP2 genes showed enhanced primary root growth and faster lateral root formation compared to normal plants.
Deleting the LEP transcription factor relieved PIP-induced growth suppression without weakening immune responses, demonstrating that growth and defense can be genetically uncoupled.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered a molecular signaling chain in plants that explains why fighting off pathogens causes roots and seedlings to grow more slowly — and identified a key protein (LEP) that could be removed to let plants stay disease-resistant without sacrificing growth.
Abstract Preview
Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) activate plant immunity through plasma membrane-localized receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and receptor-like proteins. The PAMP flg22 binds FLAGELLIN SENS...
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