Life and death:the destiny of Phytophthora sojae determined by a receptor-like kinase

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases(LRR-RLKs)are well known to act in plant growth,development,and defense responses.Plant LRR-RLKs locate on cell surface to sense and initiate responsive signals to a variety of extracellular stimuli,such as microbe-associated molecular patterns(MAMPs)released from microorganisms.LRR-RLKs are also present in microbes and function in microbial growth and development,but their roles in communicating with hosts are largely unknown.A recent study published in Nature Communications uncovered that a microbial LRR-RLK,PsRLK6,is required for oospore development in the sexual reproduction of Phytophthora sojae,an oomycete pathogen that causes root and stem rot in soybean.Meanwhile,PsRLK6 is recognized as a novel type of MAMP by an unknown plant LRR receptor-like protein and triggers immune responses in soybean,tomato,and Nicotiana benthamiana.The findings reveal dual roles of a pathogen LRR-RLK in determining both life through sexual reproduction and death through triggering plant immunity.