A joint collaboration of the NIAS with Meiji University and the University of Naples (Italy) identified a sensor protein (OsCERK1) for a bacterial-specific molecule, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), that activates immune responses in rice. OsCERK1 is a receptor-like kinase and proteins similar to OsCERK1 are conserved in a wide range of plant species. OsCERK1 is structurally different from the previously reported LPS sensor, which exists only in Brassicaceae plants. Since OsCERK1 is also a sensor for a fungal-specific immune-response inducer, chitin, these results are expected to lead to the development of efficient disease control technology for crops against both pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Read more.
