Plant immunity: A Special Issue of Annals of Botany

Plants are constantly exposed to a range of pathogens and pests, with the emergence of new virulent pathogen races responsible for considerable global crop losses every year.

Progress in research in recent decades has increased our understanding of the plant innate immune system at the molecular level, fundamental for the continued development of novel approaches for control of emerging pathogens. This special issue will be devoted to highlighting current knowledge of mechanisms involved in plant innate immunity, focusing on molecular interactions occurring between plant hosts and a variety of invading pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and insects.

The focus will cover advances in research on pathogen sensing and activation of plant immunity, with topics ranging from pathogen effector proteins, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) for recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI), plant NB-LRR proteins and pathogen effector recognition in Effector Triggered Immunity (ETI), antiviral receptor kinases, through to plant signaling networks and downstream defence responses.

The triennial series of International Plant Molecular Biology Congresses focuses on new discoveries of the nature of plant life at the molecular level. The 11th IPMB Congress will be held 25-30 October 2015 in Iguazú Falls, Brazil, bringing together leading scientists in this area. Annals of Botany will be releasing the Special Issue on Plant Immunity in 2016, which will contain highlights from the meeting in Brazil. Guest editors include Thorsten Nürnberger and Marie-Anne Van Sluys. This is also an open call for submission of additional papers on all aspects of plant immunity, which can also be considered for inclusion in the Special Issue, following the usual peer-review process. All types of papers (primary research articles, reviews, viewpoints, research-in-context) are welcomed. If you have a manuscript that you would like to be considered, please send an outline (Title, Authors and 250–500 words) to annalsbotany@le.ac.uk by 20 December 2015. If agreed, the full paper would need to be submitted by 20 March 2016, in order to enter the full peer review process.