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Cell-surface receptors play pivotal roles in many biological processes, including immunity, development, and reproduction, across diverse organisms. How cell-surface receptors evolve to become specialised in different biological processes remains elusive. To shed light on the immune-specificity of cell-surface receptors, we analyzed more than 200,000 genes encoding cell-surface receptors from 350 genomes and traced the evolutionary origin of immune-specific leucine-rich repeat receptor-like proteins (LRR-RLPs) in plants. Surprisingly, we discovered that the motifs crucial for co-receptor interaction in LRR-RLPs are closely related to those of the LRR-receptor-like kinase (RLK) subgroup Xb, which perceives phytohormones and primarily governs growth and development. Functional characterisation further reveals that LRR-RLPs initiate immune responses through their juxtamembrane and transmembrane regions, while LRR-RLK-Xb members regulate development through their cytosolic kinase domains. Our data suggest that the cell-surface receptors involved in immunity and development share a common origin. After diversification, their ectodomains, juxtamembrane, transmembrane, and cytosolic regions have either diversified or stabilised to recognise diverse ligands and activate differential downstream responses. Our work reveals a mechanism by which plants evolve to perceive diverse signals to activate the appropriate responses in a rapidly changing environment. Plant cell-surface receptors perceive both self- and nonself-molecules to regulate biological processes. Here the authors show that a subclass of phytohormone and immune receptors share a common origin, which have diverged to perceive distinct ligands and activate differential downstream responses.

Recent reports suggest that cell-surface and intracellular immune receptors function synergistically to activate robust defence against pathogens, but whether they co-evolve is unclear. Here we determined the numbers of cell-surface and intracellular immune receptors in 350 species. Surprisingly, the number of receptor genes that are predicted to encode cell-surface and intracellular immune receptors is strongly correlated. We suggest this is consistent with mutual potentiation of immunity initiated by cell-surface and intracellular receptors being reflected in the concerted co-evolution of the size of their repertoires across plant species.Comparative genomic analysis of 350 plant species reveals that cell-surface and intracellular immune receptor gene families co-expand or co-contract. This suggests an evolutionary relationship between the two branches of the plant immune system.

Plant genomes encode hundreds of secreted peptides; however, relatively few have been characterised. We report here an uncharacterised, stress-induced family of plant signalling peptides, which we call CTNIPs. Based on the role of the common co-receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-ASSOCIATED KINASE 1 (BAK1) in CTNIP-induced responses, we identified in Arabidopsis thaliana the orphan receptor kinase HAESA-LIKE 3 (HSL3) as the CTNIP receptor via a proteomics approach. CTNIP-binding, ligand-triggered complex formation with BAK1, and induced downstream responses all involve HSL3. Notably, the HSL3-CTNIP signalling module is evolutionarily conserved amongst most extant angiosperms. The identification of this novel signalling module will further shed light on the diverse functions played by plant signalling peptides and will provide insights into receptor-ligand co-evolution.

In Europe, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus circulates in avian wildlife, undergoing frequent reassortment, sporadic introductions in domestic birds, and spillover to mammals. An H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b reassortant, EA-2023-DG, affecting wild and domestic birds was detected in western Europe in November 2023. Six of its RNA segments came from the EA-2021-AB genotype, but the polymerase basic 2 and polymerase acidic segments originated from low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses. Discrete phylogeographic analyses of concatenated genomes and single polymerase basic 2 and polymerase acidic segments suggested reassortment in summer 2023 near the southwestern Baltic Sea. Subsequent continuous phylogeographic analysis of all concatenated EA-2023-DG genomes highlighted circulation in northwestern Europe until June 2024 and long-distance dispersal toward France, Norway, England, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Austria. Those results illustrate the value of phylodynamic approaches to investigate emergence of novel avian influenza virus variants, trace their subsequent dispersal history, and provide vital clues for informing outbreak prevention and intervention policies.

N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) is a cardiac biomarker used to detect myocardial wall stress. Physical activity and cardiac disease can affect serum NTproBNP concentrations. In people, different types of physical activity have different effects on NTproBNP. Our hypothesis was that physical activity and training have an effect on NTproBNP concentrations depending on the type of exercise and the intensity. Seven German Shepherd dogs (GSD) under military training performing short bursts of fast-paced interval exercise and seven Eurohounds (EHs) training for racing competition with endurance exercise were included in the study. Blood samples were taken at enrollment (T0) and after a two-month (T2mth) training period; on both occasions, the samples were acquired before and after physical exercise. An echocardiographic evaluation was performed at T0. Echocardiographic heart size was larger in the EHs compared to the GSDs. The NTproBNP concentration was higher in the EHs than in the GSDs before and after exercise at T0 and T2mth. Echocardiographic parameters of heart size and wall thickness correlated with NTproBNP at T0 before and after exercise. Exercise induced an elevation of NTproBNP in the EHs at T0 and T2mth, while in the GSDs this was observed only at T0. In the EHs, post exercise was associated with higher NTproBNP at T2mth compared to T0, while in the GSDs the opposite pattern was noticed. From our study, the serum NTproBNP concentration differs between breeds. Intense physical activity causes an increase in NTproBNP. A two-month training period does not affect the NTproBNP concentration at rest. Intense physical activity may increase NTproBNP above the reference range in individual dogs.

Strains of Pseudomonas that produce antimicrobial metabolites and control soilborne plant diseases have often been isolated from soils defined as disease-suppressive, i.e., soils, in which specific plant pathogens are present, but plants show no or reduced disease symptoms. Moreover, it is assumed that pseudomonads producing antimicrobial compounds such as 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) or phenazines (PHZ) contribute to the specific disease resistance of suppressive soils. However, pseudomonads producing antimicrobial metabolites are also present in soils that are conducive to disease. Currently, it is still unknown whether and to which extent the abundance of antimicrobials-producing pseudomonads is related to the general disease resistance of common agricultural soils. Moreover, virtually nothing is known about the conditions under which pseudomonads express antimicrobial genes in agricultural field soils. We present here results of the first side-by-side comparison of 10 representative Swiss agricultural soils with a cereal-oriented cropping history for (i) the resistance against two soilborne pathogens, (ii) the abundance of Pseudomonas bacteria harboring genes involved in the biosynthesis of the antimicrobials DAPG, PHZ, and pyrrolnitrin on roots of wheat, and (iii) the ability to support the expression of these genes on the roots. Our study revealed that the level of soil disease resistance strongly depends on the type of pathogen, e.g., soils that are highly resistant to Gaeumannomyces tritici often are highly susceptible to Pythium ultimum and vice versa. There was no significant correlation between the disease resistance of the soils, the abundance of Pseudomonas bacteria carrying DAPG, PHZ, and pyrrolnitrin biosynthetic genes, and the ability of the soils to support the expression of the antimicrobial genes. Correlation analyses indicated that certain soil factors such as silt, clay, and some macro- and micronutrients influence both the abundance and the expression of the antimicrobial genes. Taken together, the results of this study suggests that pseudomonads producing DAPG, PHZ, or pyrrolnitrin are present and abundant in Swiss agricultural soils and that the soils support the expression of the respective biosynthetic genes in these bacteria to various degrees. The precise role that these pseudomonads play in the general disease resistance of the investigated agricultural soils remains elusive.

• Transposable elements (TEs) are the main reason for the high plasticity of plant genomes, where they occur as communities of diverse evolutionary lineages. Because research has typically focused on single abundant families or summarized TEs at a coarse taxonomic level, our knowledge about how these lineages differ in their effects on genome evolution is still rudimentary. • Here we investigate the community composition and dynamics of 32 long terminal repeat retrotransposon (LTR-RT) families in the 272-Mb genome of the Mediterranean grass Brachypodium distachyon. • We find that much of the recent transpositional activity in the B. distachyon genome is due to centromeric Gypsy families and Copia elements belonging to the Angela lineage. With a half-life as low as 66 kyr, the latter are the most dynamic part of the genome and an important source of within-species polymorphisms. Second, GC-rich Gypsy elements of the Retand lineage are the most abundant TEs in the genome. Their presence explains > 20% of the genome-wide variation in GC content and is associated with higher methylation levels. • Our study shows how individual TE lineages change the genetic and epigenetic constitution of the host beyond simple changes in genome size.

Introgressions of chromosomal segments from related species into wheat are important sources of resistance against fungal diseases. The durability and effectiveness of introgressed resistance genes upon agricultural deployment is highly variable—a phenomenon that remains poorly understood, as the corresponding fungal avirulence genes are largely unknown. Until its breakdown, the Pm17 resistance gene introgressed from rye to wheat provided broad resistance against powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis). Here, we used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to identify the corresponding wheat mildew avirulence effector AvrPm17. It is encoded by two paralogous genes that exhibit signatures of reoccurring gene conversion events and are members of a mildew sublineage specific effector cluster. Extensive haplovariant mining in wheat mildew and related sublineages identified several ancient virulent AvrPm17 variants that were present as standing genetic variation in wheat powdery mildew prior to the Pm17 introgression, thereby paving the way for the rapid breakdown of the Pm17 resistance. QTL mapping in mildew identified a second genetic component likely corresponding to an additional resistance gene present on the 1AL.1RS translocation carrying Pm17. This gene remained previously undetected due to suppressed recombination within the introgressed rye chromosomal segment. We conclude that the initial effectiveness of 1AL.1RS was based on simultaneous introgression of two genetically linked resistance genes. Our results demonstrate the relevance of pathogen-based genetic approaches to disentangling complex resistance loci in wheat. We propose that identification and monitoring of avirulence gene diversity in pathogen populations become an integral part of introgression breeding to ensure effective and durable resistance in wheat.

Plants deploy a diverse array of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that perceive microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) to activate immune responses. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase subgroup XII (LRR-RLK-XII) represents one of the largest PRR families due to lineage-specific diversification. Bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and biochemical approaches were integrated to characterize PRRs from 285 plant species. We identified a receptor, named “SCORE”, that perceives cold-shock protein (CSP) peptides. SCORE orthologs from multiple angiosperm lineages exhibit remarkable CSP recognition polymorphisms, indicating recurrent selection for pathogen recognition through substitutions at key amino acid residues. Through functional phylogenomics and protein structure predictions, we generated synthetic SCORE variants capable of detecting multiple phytopathogen CSP peptides, thus revealing the diverse PRR recognition landscape in plants. Our strategy hold promises for engineering plant immune receptors, particularly for perennial crops.