Pathogens Drop the Hint: Don't Forget Phytoalexin Pathways

Many effectors secreted by pathogenic bacteria suppress host signal transduction pathways that activate host defense responses. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Zhou et al. (2011) now broaden that theme by demonstrating that HopZ1b from Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea causes degradation of a host enzyme directly involved in the synthesis of antimicrobial phytoalexin compounds.