protein-complexes
Protein complexes are assemblies of two or more interacting polypeptide chains that work together as functional molecular machines within cells. In plants, these multi-protein structures regulate critical processes such as photosynthesis, hormone signaling, and stress responses, often acting as dynamic hubs that integrate environmental signals with cellular activity. Understanding how plant protein complexes assemble, interact, and change under different conditions is key to unraveling the molecular basis of plant growth, development, and adaptation.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-01
Scientists discovered how plants activate a two-part immune system to fight off disease-causing pathogens. When a threat is detected, specialized proteins cluster together to form a defense complex, revealing a new layer of how plants protect themselves.
A coiled-coil NLR immune receptor acts as the initial sensor that detects pathogen effectors and triggers the immune response
Upon activation, helper NLR proteins are recruited and assemble into multi-protein 'resistosome' clusters that execute immunity
The clustering of helper NLRs represents a previously uncharacterized step in the plant immune signaling cascade