Signal Transduction Mechanism in Plant Disease and Immunity

Dear Colleagues,

Plants have various types of relationships with microbes, that is, pathogenic, non-pathogenic, and symbiotic, at most parts of the plant body. Among those, protection from pathogen invasion  is important to survive, so plants have developed unique self-defense systems, which act at the infection site and other parts to defend from further pathogen attacks. Those self-defense systems are regulated by signal transduction, mainly initiated by the recognition of pathogenic infection, and operate many types of defense mechanisms against pathogens. These signaling mechanisms comprise various intra- and intercellular events, such as synthesis and perception of signaling molecules, gene expression, protein modification, protein–protein interaction, synthesis and accumulation of bioactive molecules, and more. On the other hand, some pathogens successfully infect plants by overcoming or disturbing and hijacking signal transduction in the plant immune system. Understanding these mechanisms of plant disease development and plant self-defense systems against pathogens is very important not only for basic knowledge of plant physiology but also to control of diseases in agriculture.

This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in mechanism research on signal transduction in plant disease development and plant defense systems. In addition to basic research at the molecular levels, research for future applied research and technology, including agrochemicals and genetical modifications, will also be considered. 

Dr. Hideo Nakashita
Dr. Takumi Nishiuchi
Guest Editors

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