Cuscuta, also known as dodder, is a parasitic plant. It is a vine that is grafted onto
As a rule, plants are not able to detectparasite invasion. But some types of tomatoes, it turns out, are actively protected. They form a kind of wooden “fabric” that prevents the penetration of dodder haustoria (suckers) into the plant. Previously, biologists from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) discovered that these tomatoes have a special receptor Cuscuta 1 (CuRe1), which triggers a defense mechanism. However, until now it was unclear how the receptor recognizes the danger posed by dodder.
Finally, the researchers managed to answerto this question. It turns out that dodder has a specific marker in its cellular structure. We are talking about glycine-rich protein (GRP). Using the CuRe1 receptor, the tomato is able to recognize the molecular structure of GRP and identify the dodder as a pathogen, which results in an immune response. New data regarding the “molecular dialogue” between the Cuscuta marker and tomato receptors may help improve crop resistance to parasitic plants.
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