therapeutic action: Disease resistance mechanisms

Histological Dissection of Fusarium-Banana Interaction Using a GFP-Tagged Subtropical Race 4 Strain of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense on Banana Cultivars with Differing Levels of Resistance

Researchers used fluorescently-labeled fungal strains to visualize how banana wilt disease spreads inside banana plants. They found that resistant banana varieties can slow down the fungus by forming blockages (called tyloses) in their water-conducting vessels, though the fungus can still initially enter the plant. The study showed that the rhizome, an underground stem-like structure, is the key location where resistant plants successfully contain the fungus, which helps explain why some banana varieties are naturally more resistant to this devastating disease.

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Genotype-by-genotype interactions reveal transcription patterns underlying resistance responses in Norway spruce to Heterobasidion annosum s.s

Researchers studied how different spruce trees resist a wood-rotting fungus by examining which genes turn on and off during infection. They found that resistant trees quickly recognize the fungus and strengthen their cell walls, while susceptible trees have delayed responses. Interestingly, different resistant trees sometimes use different defense strategies to achieve similar protection, suggesting multiple genetic pathways can lead to the same outcome.

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Unveiling molecular mechanisms of strobilurin resistance in the cacao pathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa

Cacao farmers have struggled to control witches’ broom disease, a fungal infection caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa, because the fungus survives even high doses of strobilurin fungicides. This study reveals how the fungus adapts to the fungicide by switching its metabolism to use alternative energy sources, activating detoxification systems, and using an alternative respiratory pathway. Researchers also discovered that prolonged fungicide exposure can create even more resistant mutants with mutations in genes that control fungal growth and gene expression.

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Putative Transcriptional Regulation of HaWRKY33-AOA251SVV7 Complex-Mediated Sunflower Head Rot by Transcriptomics and Proteomics

This research identifies how sunflowers defend themselves against a devastating fungal disease called head rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Scientists discovered that a protein called HaWRKY33 works together with another protein (AOA251SVV7) to help resistant sunflower varieties fight off the infection. By understanding these molecular interactions and identifying critical regions of the HaWRKY33 protein, researchers can now develop better sunflower varieties that are naturally resistant to this disease, potentially saving farmers significant crop losses.

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