Plasma membrane lipids at plant-pathogen interfaces: Regulators of immunity and susceptibility

Plants in their natural habitats encounter abiotic and biotic stress factors, making sensing and responding to stresses integral components of their lifestyle. The ability to respond to environmental cues is essential for plant fitness, and thus, plants have evolved molecular mechanisms to cope with these challenges. This review updates recent advances in understanding how plasma membrane (PM) biology contributes to plant responses against biotic stresses. Emphasis is placed on the dynamic roles of membrane lipids, which play crucial roles in defining protein composition and function of the PM at the plant-pathogen interface. Emerging insights into PM nanostructure and lipid-mediated signaling reveal how rapid, dynamic and localized lipid remodeling supports effective defense activation during pathogen attack. Evidence from various plant models suggests that multi-layered regulatory mechanisms control the lipid composition of the PM, enabling plants to manage intrinsic PM properties and hence, processes that minimize the susceptibility to pathogen exploitation. From the pathogens' perspective, successful infection requires subverting plant defenses and manipulating host PM function for colonization. A deeper understanding of plant PM dynamics during pathogen challenge will provide knowledge for crop improvement strategies, opening novel avenues to enhance resistance at the frontline of plant-pathogen interactions.