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The parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum suppresses host immunity

Bhukya, D. P. N.; Spallek, T.

2026-01-22 plant biology
10.64898/2026.01.20.700512 bioRxiv
Show abstract

The parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum invades the host root xylem to extract nutrients and water. We show that this invasion triggers a phosphate-starvation response in its host, Arabidopsis thaliana, causing systemic suppression of immunity, including defence responses against microbial pathogens. Consequently, plants infested by xylem-feeding parasitic plants were more susceptible to secondary infections, underscoring the need to consider multitrophic interactions when improving crop resilience to parasitic infestation.

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