New Phytologist最新文献

The development of insecticidal chemicals (commonly termed pesticides) has revolutionized the process of cultivation in agriculture; yet, similarly to the development of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens, insects can rapidly develop resistance to these chemicals (Alyokhin & Chen, 2017). Pesticides can also negatively affect beneficial insects such as pollinators and natural enemies of herbivorous insects (Bourguet & Guillemaud, 2016). Extensive pesticide use also poses risks to farmers and growers who apply the pesticides, as well as consumers who eat the resulting produce (Del Prado-Lu, 2015; Bourguet & Guillemaud, 2016). Additionally, pesticides are not always cheap, increasing the economic burden on farmers and consumers alike (Bourguet & Guillemaud, 2016). As a result, alternative strategies are needed to control major crop pests whose damage affects yield and crop quality. A key component of integrated pest management (IPM) is the identification of extant crop varieties carrying resistance phenotypes against pest insects (Stenberg, 2017), in particular, the identification of varieties or lines that emit deterrent volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can stop pest insects at the source by preventing physical contact, oviposition, and feeding on vulnerable crops. However, rather than killing the insects once a plant is infested, or in the early stages of infestation, why not just keep the insects from infesting in the first place? An exciting study by Ghosh et al., published in this issue of New Phytologist (2023, 1259–1274) identifies a variety of eggplant (aubergine/brinjal) (Solanum melongena L., Solanaceae) resistant to the eggplant/brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Lucinodes orbonalis Guenée, Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), which infests both the vegetative and fruit tissues of the plant (Fig. 1).

This eggplant variety, which originates in the eastern Himalaya region, shows nearly complete resistance to infestation by the adult moth of L. orbonalis, with a complete lack of infested fruits and shoots, and very limited presence of moth eggs on the leaves of the plant – the moth's usual oviposition site. The identification of a naturally resistant variety of eggplant is exciting news, as the pest moth is found world-wide and can cause the loss of 45–100% of marketable fruit (Reshma et al., 2019). As a result of this heavy infestation and loss potential, eggplant receives some of the heaviest pesticide burdens of any cultivated species, with plants sprayed up to 20 times per month in some locations (Del Prado-Lu, 2015). The presence of these pesticides affects not only the moths, but also potentially beneficial insects such as pollinators and parasitoid wasps. Eggplant is largely self-pollinated but benefits from pollination for seed set and fruit production (Pess

The plant immune system features numerous immune receptors localized on the cell surface to monitor the apoplastic space for danger signals from a broad range of plant colonizers. Recent discoveries shed light on the enormous complexity of molecular signals sensed by these receptors, how they are generated and removed to maintain cellular homeostasis and immunocompetence, and how they are shaped by host-imposed evolutionary constraints. Fine-tuning receptor sensing mechanisms at the molecular, cellular and physiological level is critical for maintaining a robust but adaptive host barrier to commensal, pathogenic, and symbiotic colonizers alike. These receptors are at the core of any plant-colonizer interaction and hold great potential for engineering disease resistance and harnessing beneficial microbiota to keep crops healthy.

The endomembrane system consists of various membrane-bound organelles including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network (TGN), endosomes, and the lysosome/vacuole. Membrane trafficking between distinct compartments is mainly achieved by vesicular transport. As the endomembrane compartments and the machineries regulating the membrane trafficking are largely conserved across all eukaryotes, our current knowledge on organelle biogenesis and endomembrane trafficking in plants has mainly been shaped by corresponding studies in mammals and yeast. However, unique perspectives have emerged from plant cell biology research through the characterization of plant-specific regulators as well as the development and application of the state-of-the-art microscopical techniques. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the plant endomembrane system, with a focus on several distinct pathways: ER-to-Golgi transport, protein sorting at the TGN, endosomal sorting on multivesicular bodies, vacuolar trafficking/vacuole biogenesis, and the autophagy pathway. We also give an update on advanced imaging techniques for the plant cell biology research.

Age-related resistance to microbe invasion is a commonly accepted concept in plant pathology. However, the impact of such age-dependent interactive phenomena is perhaps not yet sufficiently recognized by the broader plant science community. Toward cataloging an understanding of underlying mechanisms, this review explores recent molecular studies and their relevance to the concept. Examples describe differences in genetic background, transcriptomics, hormonal balances, protein-mediated events, and the contribution by short RNA-controlled gene silencing events. Throughout, recent findings with viral systems are highlighted as an illustration of the complexity of the interactions. It will become apparent that instead of uncovering a unifying explanation, we unveiled only trends. Nevertheless, with a degree of confidence, we propose that the process of plant age-related defenses is actively regulated at multiple levels. The overarching goal of this control for plants is to avoid a constitutive waste of resources, especially at crucial metabolically draining early developmental stages.

Functional traits offer a promising avenue to improve predictions of species range shifts under climate change, which will entail warmer and often drier conditions. Although the conceptual foundation linking traits with plant performance and range shifts appears solid, the predictive ability of individual traits remains generally low. In this review, we address this apparent paradox, emphasizing examples of woody plants and traits associated with drought responses at the species' rear edge. Low predictive ability reflects the fact not only that range dynamics tend to be complex and multifactorial, as well as uncertainty in the identification of relevant traits and limited data availability, but also that trait effects are scale- and context-dependent. The latter results from the complex interactions among traits (e.g. compensatory effects) and between them and the environment (e.g. exposure), which ultimately determine persistence and colonization capacity. To confront this complexity, a more balanced coverage of the main functional dimensions involved (stress tolerance, resource use, regeneration and dispersal) is needed, and modelling approaches must be developed that explicitly account for: trait coordination in a hierarchical context; trait variability in space and time and its relationship with exposure; and the effect of biotic interactions in an ecological community context.