Are root parasitic plants like any other plant pathogens?

Abstract

This article is a Commentary on Su et al. 226: 891–908.

The ecologically relevant genetics of plant–plant interactions

“…Changes in transcriptomic, metabolomic, and microbiome profiles can be assessed simultaneously in multiple vegetative and reproductive organs, down to the tissue or single cell level (Figure 1) [43], in particular where physical interactions occur between plants [44,45]. Although the analysis of genome-wide RNA sequencing expression, metabolic profiles and microbiomes provides hundreds to thousands of genes, metabolite and microbial candidates, the validation of causal candidates involved in plant-plant interactions remains scarce [46,47].…”

Management of Infection by Parasitic Weeds: A Review

“…The processes of host-induced parasitic germination and haustorium formation are the most frequent targets for the development of resistant cultivars [ 112 , 158 , 159 , 160 ]. Sources of resistance against these mechanisms are scarce among crop germplasm collections being more frequent in wild relatives to crop species [ 10 , 11 ]. The success of the slow and difficult process of traditional breeding methods that adds one resistance gene at a time is quickly overcome by parasitic weeds due to: (i) The existence of individuals among the dense and heterogeneous seed banks capable of overcoming the resistance of the new cultivar before its first cultivation and (ii) after the cultivation of the resistant cultivar, the capacity of stressed parasitic weeds to mutate, evolving virulence-enhanced parasitic biotypes much quicker than the breeders’ capacity to develop the resistant cultivar [ 141 , 161 ].…”

“…There are few sources of crop resistance to parasitic plant infection [ 10 , 11 ]. The identified forms of resistance are classified as pre-attachment or post-attachment resistance according to whether the resistance occurs before or after the haustorium attaches the host surface [ 10 ].…”

Beginnings of a plant parasite: early development of Rafflesia consueloae inside its Tetrastigma host

“…This remains plausible because there were host roots that already had R. consueloae floral shoots but the growth of the endophyte in the sections was only confined to the vascular cambium. Host resistance to plant parasite infections has been recently compared to the kind of the resistance that plants employ to defeat microbial pathogens, suggesting that plant parasites are regarded by their hosts as they would plant pathogens (Delavault 2020;Su et al 2020). As such, different host individuals may have varying capacities to prevent infection or limit its extent.…”