Ep 8: How plants fight viruses (without an immune system)

How do rice plants defend themselves against viral invaders, especially since they don't have immune systems? In this episode, we explore groundbreaking research that uncovers a key antiviral defense mechanism in rice. Scientists have identified RBRL, a ubiquitin ligase, as a crucial sensor that detects viral coat proteins and triggers a cascade of immune responses. By degrading NINJA3, a repressor of jasmonate signaling, the plant activates powerful defense pathways, including RNA silencing, to combat infections like rice stripe virus and rice dwarf virus.