Channeling plant immunity

Plant intracellular NLR proteins detect pathogen effectors and then form multimeric protein complexes (resistosomes'') that activate immune responses and cell death through unknown mechanisms. In this issue of Cell, Bi et al. show that the ZAR1 resistosome exhibits cation channel activity, enabling calcium influx that activates defense mechanisms and culminates in cell death.

Automated summary

The ZAR1 resistosome in plants has been found to exhibit cation channel activity, leading to calcium influx that activates defense mechanisms and ultimately results in cell death.