“Spear” and “Shield” Plant Parasitization and Pathogenic Response

“Spear” and “Shield” Plant Parasitization and Pathogenic Response

Plants have defense systems that are either inherent or inducible. These systems are mainly employed against living organisms that are not plants. Little is known about plant defenses against other plants (e.g., parasitic plants). Here, we focus on the phenomena of hyperparasitization and intraspecies Cuscuta parasitization. We suggest that the relationship between destructive parasitization as a “spear” and a defense system as a “shield” is an intriguing topic in plant pathology.