Opposing roles of plant laticifer cells in the resistance to insect herbivores and fungal pathogens.

ABSTRACT: More than 12,000 plant species (ca. 10% of flowering plants) exude latex when their tissues are injured. Latex is produced and stored in specialized cells named "laticifers". Laticifers form a tubing system composed of rows of elongated cells that branch and create an internal network encompassing the entire plant. Laticifers constitute a recent evolutionary achievement in ecophysiological adaptation to specific natural environments; however, their fitness benefit to the plant still remains to be proven. The identification of Euphorbia lathyris mutants (pil mutants) deficient in laticifer cells or latex metabolism, and therefore compromised in latex production, allowed us to test the importance of laticifers in pest resistance. We provided genetic evidence indicating that lat

SUBMITTER: Castelblanque L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8132127 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature