Detection of the plant parasite Cuscuta reflexa by a tomato cell surface receptor

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3919
• Publication Date: 2016-07-28T18:33:05Z
• Authors: Volker Hegenauer; Ursula Fürst; Bettina Kaiser; Matthew Smoker; Cyril Zipfel; Georg Felix; Mark Stahl; Markus Albert
• Keywords: Cuscuta; Parasitic plant

Parasitic plants are a constraint on agriculture worldwide. Cuscuta reflexa is stem holoparasite that infests most dicotyledonous plants. One exception tomato, which resistant to C. We discovered tomato responds small peptide factor occurring in spp. with immune responses typically activated after perception of microbe-associated molecular patterns. identified the cell surface receptor-like protein CUSCUTA RECEPTOR 1 (CuRe1) as essential for this parasite-associated pattern. CuRe1 sufficient confer responsiveness and increased resistance parasitic when heterologously expressed otherwise susceptible host Our findings reveal recognize manner similar microbial pathogens.