Genetius

The study demonstrates that a beta‑1,3‑glucan‑binding protein from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae interacts with the rice thaumatin‑like protein OsPR5, which sequesters the fungal protein to trigger immunity, while the fungus secretes thaumatin‑binding proteins to counteract this defense. Additionally, a rice cell‑surface receptor kinase containing a thaumatin domain has evolved to detect the fungal GBP, highlighting a complex coevolutionary arms race in the rice apoplast.

The study examined how tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites influence drought tolerance in grapevine and Arabidopsis, finding that malate uniquely triggers stomatal closure via elevations in cytosolic Ca2+ and activation of the SLAC1 anion channel. G-proteins were shown to be essential for malate‑mediated signaling, linking metabolic changes to drought response through a second‑messenger cascade.