Lipid Metabolism and Membrane Structure in Plant Biotic Interactions

Lipid metabolism in plants responds dynamically to pathogens, insects, and other biotic agents, and influences immunity against these stressors. For example, lipids may act directly as stress-responsive signaling molecules, as in the case of certain sphingolipids; they may be a source of Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns, as in the case of lipid peroxidation adducts; or they may serve as biosynthetic precursors for hormones and phytoalexins, as in the case of jasmonates and other oxylipins synthesized from free fatty acids cleaved from structural membrane lipids. Plant biotic interactions also influence and are influenced by physical and chemical membrane properties such as oxidative stability, permeability, fluidity, and organization into structural domains such as lipid rafts. Moreover, membrane trafficking is central to many plant responses to biotic stress including programmed cell death, antiviral RNA interference, and the delivery of pattern recognition receptors to the plasma membrane. 

Stress-responsive changes in lipid metabolism or membrane organization may facilitate plant adaptation and defense; conversely, pathogens and pests may also manipulate plant lipids and membranes to facilitate the colonization process. Furthermore, outside factors such as environmental conditions or genetic engineering may shift the balance between host plant resistance and susceptibility by altering lipid composition and/or membrane structure in host plants. The goal of this Research Topic is to shed light on the impacts of plant lipid metabolism and membrane organization on plant immunity by integrating the latest research in this area from a diversity of laboratories and model systems.

We would like to solicit original research articles, reviews, and opinion papers that characterize:

• the effects of pathogens, herbivores, or other biotic agents on plant lipid metabolism and/or membrane organization
• the effects of lipid metabolism and membrane organization in plants on interactions with pathogens, herbivores, and other biotic agents
• the indirect effects of outside factors such as light and temperature on plant biotic interactions, mediated through the impacts of these factors on lipid and membrane biology 
• the physiological and molecular mechanisms and ecological consequences of these effects  

We also welcome Methods papers that present novel approaches to address these topics.

Please note:

Studies falling into the categories below will not be considered for review, unless they are expanded and provide functional or mechanistic insights into the biological system or process being studied:

i) Descriptive collection of transcripts, proteins or metabolites, including comparative sets as a result of different conditions or treatments;

ii) Descriptive studies that define gene families using basic phylogenetics and the assignment of cursory functional attributions (e.g. expression profiles, hormone or metabolites levels, promoter analysis, informatic parameters).