Mechanism of plant immune activation by bacteria of the Bacillus genus (IMAGE)
Caption
This soil bacterium is recognised by the plant, which, following the release of a signal that spreads throughout all its organs, strengthens its defences against attack by pathogens. Bacillus produces a molecule called surfactin, capable of interacting with root cells (bottom right). More specifically, surfactin binds preferentially to certain lipids in the plant cell membrane (glucosylceramides). This interaction alters the physical properties of the membrane, leading to the opening of mechanosensitive ion channels (top right) and triggering the immune response.
Credit
Created in BioRender. Deleu, M. (2026) https://BioRender.com/qddoip5
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