The immune systems of plants and humans have more in common than you might think. In both, hormone-like peptides play crucial roles in immune response and the complex interplay between nutrition and health.
Too much nitrogen, often due to excessive fertilization, can make plants more susceptible to diseases. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are exploring why this happens. They discovered a small protein (peptide) that helps plants resist certain bacteria, but its effectiveness decreases with high nitrogen levels.
Martin Stegmann’s team identified C-terminally encoded peptides (CEPs), plant hormone-like substances known as phytocytokines. These play a part in stress response, root formation, and immune defense. The study revealed that plants with fewer peptide hormones or missing sensors on their cell surfaces were more prone to bacterial infections. When attacked by bacteria, plants produce more of these hormones to bolster their defenses.
Nitrogen is essential for plants’ growth. However, just like too much of anything can be harmful, an excess of nitrogen disrupts the important signals of peptide hormones in plants. Researchers have found that when nitrogen levels are too high, these hormones weaken, leaving plants more vulnerable to bacterial infections.
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These discoveries could have significant implications for farming. Over-fertilizing with nitrogen makes crops more susceptible to diseases, potentially compromising their overall health and yield.
Ralph Hückelhoven, Professor of Phytopathology at TUM, said, “These results provide starting points for further research into the reason and mechanisms behind this link between the plant’s nutritional status and immune defense.”
“With this new knowledge, future crops could be bred to be more resistant to diseases, even with moderate nitrogen levels.”
Journal Reference:
- Rzemieniewski, J., Leicher, H., Lee, H.K. et al. (2024): CEP signaling coordinates plant immunity with nitrogen status. Nature Communications 15, 10686. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55194-x
