Perception of a bacterial quorum sensing signal activates a tripartite plant immune strategy

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2026 Open access

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Authors: Danxia He, Yi Zhou, Meng Li, M Wang, Wenjia Yu, Chuyang Shao, Sunil Kumar Singh, 顾美皎, Yue Wang, Jianlong Yuan, Xiaoxuan Wu, Shuai Zheng
+9 more Xie Yi, Lixian Chen, Rafael J L Morcillo, Yu Yang, Juan Ignacio Vílchez, Jin-Lin Zhang, Yansong Miao, Alberto P. Macho, Huiming Zhang
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2532423123
Cited by: 1
References: 32

Abstract

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signals an increasing threat during pathogenesis. How plants deploy timely defenses through QS perception is poorly understood. Here, we report that Arabidopsis thaliana perceives 2’-aminoacetophenone (2’-AA), a volatile QS signal from Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and mounts a multilayered defense. This response comprises BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1 (BAK1)-dependent intracellular immunity, extracellular quorum quenching through the release of acetic acid, and ecological remodeling of the root microbiome to suppress Pseudomonas . Our findings demonstrate that plants can translate the detection of a specific bacterial QS molecule into a coordinated, preemptive disease resistance strategy.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Volume
123
Issue
18
Pages
e2532423123–e2532423123
Publication date
28 April 2026
Language
EN