An international research team has published a study in Nature Communications that reveals a novel molecular mechanism by which Phytophthora pathogens breach crop defenses. This research on plant diseases found that pathogenic microorganisms disrupt the early warning system of plants through specific enzymes, providing a theoretical basis for developing new crop protection strategies.

Led by scientists from the University of York, in collaboration with the James Hutton Institute and the Free University of Brussels, the research team discovered that Phytophthora pathogens secrete AA7 oxidases that interfere with plant defense signals. This plant disease mechanism is akin to disabling an alarm system before an invasion, weakening the plant’s resistance before it can activate its defenses.

Dr. Federico Sabbadin from the Department of Biology's Centre for Novel Agricultural Products stated, "By targeting these alert molecules, the pathogen shuts them down before the plant can respond—it's as if the microbe has learned the plant's own language and uses it against it. When we disrupted the genes encoding these enzymes, the microbe's ability to infect plants was significantly weakened."

The study revealed that the AA7 enzymes utilized by Phytophthora pathogens are conserved and widely present in various plant pathogens. By using gene-editing techniques to inactivate the genes encoding these enzymes, the pathogen’s ability to infect was significantly reduced. This discovery opens new directions for combating plant diseases.

Dr. Stephen Whisson from the James Hutton Institute noted, "If we are to secure the global food supply for the future, we need better crop protection strategies, and this latest discovery is a genuine step toward that goal. These enzymes are conserved across major plant pathogens, and their discovery paves the way for robust new strategies in crop protection."

As the impact of climate change on agricultural production becomes increasingly significant, the resistance of crops to pests and diseases is particularly critical. This study opens new avenues for developing crop varieties with enhanced resistance, helping to maintain the stability of food production under changing environmental conditions.