CLE peptides in plant-biotic interactions.
Frei Dit Frey N, Spallek T
Summary
PubMedWhy it matters This matters because the same molecular signals that help legumes team up with soil bacteria to naturally fertilize themselves also get hijacked by root-attacking nematodes — cracking this code could mean healthier crops with less chemical fertilizer and pesticide.
Plants produce tiny protein messages that control how much they 'let in' helpful microbes like the bacteria that live in bean roots and fix nitrogen from the air. These same messages are exploited by parasitic roundworms and parasitic plants, which manipulate the host plant into feeding them. Scientists are mapping how these signals work across many different plant relationships, revealing a surprisingly shared language plants use to decide friend from foe.
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Tiny protein signals called CLE peptides act as master regulators of how plants interact with allies like nitrogen-fixing bacteria and enemies like parasitic worms and plants. Understanding these signals could unlock new ways to boost beneficial plant partnerships and defend against attackers.
Key Findings
CLE peptides serve a dual role: they regulate beneficial symbioses (e.g., nitrogen-fixing root nodules) by balancing host costs and benefits, and are co-opted by parasites to manipulate host plant development.
Plant-parasitic nematodes use CLE-like signals to hijack host plant pathways and drive formation of specialized nutrient-providing feeding sites.
Parasitic plants (such as witchweed and broomrape) leverage CLE signaling to promote haustorium formation — the invasive organ they use to tap into a host plant's vascular system.
Abstract Preview
Plant-biotic interactions are driven by the exchange of molecules. Small peptide hormones like CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) peptides play central regulatory roles in these interactions....
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