pathogen-resistance
Pathogen-resistance in plants refers to the suite of genetic and molecular mechanisms that allow plants to detect, defend against, and survive attack by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms. Understanding these defense pathways is central to plant biology, as they determine how crops and wild plants withstand disease in natural and agricultural environments. Researchers study pathogen-resistance to develop more resilient plant varieties, reducing reliance on chemical treatments and helping ensure food security in the face of evolving microbial threats.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-11
Plants have an internal quality-control system in a cellular compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum that, when stressed by pathogens, triggers immune defenses. This review maps how that stress response links to plant immunity—and how bacteria, fungi, and viruses have evolved tricks to shut it down.
The unfolded protein response (UPR) integrates with at least three distinct layers of plant immunity—pattern-triggered immunity, effector-triggered immunity, and systemic defenses—making it a central immune hub rather than a peripheral stress response.
Two major plant hormones, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid, act as 'rheostats' that fine-tune the balance between ER stress signaling and immune activation, determining whether a plant resists or succumbs to infection.
Pathogens including bacteria, oomycetes, and viruses deploy specific virulence factors that directly target the sensors and transcription factors of the UPR, actively dampening this immune pathway to gain a foothold in the plant.