Sensing of molecular patterns through cell surface immune receptors

- Molecular patterns of pathogens, pests and parasitic plants elicit plant immunity.
- Molecular patterns are chemically diverse (peptides, glycans, lipids and nucleic acids).
- Different plant species sense numerous molecular patterns via diverse receptor sets.
- Plant immunity drives diversification of molecular patterns for host immune evasion.
- Host processing facilitates release of small immunogenic fragments.

In plants, sensing of Pathogen/Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs) and host-derived Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) by host cell surface Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) activates Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI). The identification of an increasing number of immunogenic patterns and PRRs illustrates that PTI is a universal defence mechanism against pathogens, pests, and parasitic plants, and that evolutionary selective pressure drives diversification of molecular patterns and diversity of PRRs. Further advances unravelled how some prototypical PRRs get activated to initiate metabolic adaptation and defence responses that stop invaders. Deeper insights into the repertoire of PRRs will reveal how plants manage to mount appropriate defence against diverse kinds of invaders and how we can biotechnologically exploit nature's design for sustainable agriculture.