On the 14th, it was revealed by the Agricultural Microbial Resources Team of the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences that they have successfully unveiled the miraculous mechanism by which plants emit a "distress" signal when under attack by pathogens, while simultaneously recruiting beneficial microbes around their roots to aid in defense. These findings were recently published in the international journal Nature Communications.
When plants are attacked by pathogens, they can summon a group of beneficial microorganisms around their roots, forming a protective "barrier." This not only helps plants resist disease but also promotes their growth. This phenomenon is known as the "distress" response. However, how to trigger the "distress" response without causing disease in plants and the specific working mechanism of this response have long been puzzling scientists.
Dr. Yunpeng Liu, the lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told Science Daily that the team used a series of modified, non-pathogenic bacteria to simulate attacks by pathogens. The research found that these "gentle" bacteria could also trigger the plant's "distress" response, successfully recruiting a large number of beneficial microbes around the roots. This inducible effect can even last for several planting cycles, providing plants with lasting protection.
Furthermore, the research team found that a microorganism called Vosshallia played a crucial role. When plants emit a "distress" signal, Vosshallia can respond rapidly and proliferate around the roots to form a defensive line. In addition, a peptide component in the bacterial flagellum can also trigger the plant's "distress" response.
"This discovery not only reveals the complex interaction mechanisms between plants and microorganisms but also lays the foundation for the development of novel plant protection strategies. In the future, scientists may be able to utilize these 'gentle' bacteria or their active components to design a product similar to a 'plant vaccine', helping plants establish a robust rhizosphere microbial defense system without direct contact with pathogens," said Dr. Yunpeng Liu.
