The paper uses genetic screens to identify fitness factors in Ralstonia pathogens during plant infection, revealing both conserved and lineage-specific adaptations.

bioRxiv · Mar 22, 2026 · PreprintGenetics

The EPS-I exopolysaccharide transforms Ralstonia wilt pathogen biofilms into viscoelastic fluids for rapid dissemination in planta

Matthew L. Cope-Arguello, Jiayu Li, Zachary M. Konkel, Nathalie Aoun, Tabitha C. Cowell, Nicholas Wagner, Alicia Chan, Lan Thanh Chu, S.T. Wang, Mariama D. Carter, Caitilyn Allen, Lindsay J. Caverly, Loan Bui, Kristen M. DeAngelis, Matthew J. Wargo, , Tiffany M. Lowe‐Power

This study identifies EPS-I as a key factor enabling Ralstonia solanacearum biofilms to exhibit viscoelastic fluid behavior, enhancing pathogen dissemination in planta.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · Jan 22, 2026Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

Natural variation in an NLR pair confers thermostable resistance to a devastating bacterial pathogen

Nathalie Aoun, Mandeep Singh, Chacko Jobichen, Natsumi Maruta, Caitlin Griffiths, Elena Dangla, Héloïse Demont, Sébastien Carrère, Jérôme Gouzy, Rémi Duflos, Matilda Zaffuto, Marta Marchetti, Angela M. Hancock, Maud Bernoux, Boštjan Kobe, , Richard Berthomé

The paper identifies a natural genetic variant in the RPS4/RRS1 NLR pair that confers thermostable resistance to Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum in Arabidopsis thaliana.

bioRxiv · Dec 16, 2025 · PreprintPlant Biology

Gene editing of the E3 ligase PIRE1 fine-tunes ROS production for enhanced bacterial disease resistance in tomato

Bardo Castro, Suji Baik, Megann Tran, Jie Zhu, Tianrun Li, Andrea Tang, Nathalie Aoun, Alison Coomer Blundell, Michael Gomez, Elaine Zhang, Myeong‐Je Cho, Tiffany M. Lowe‐Power, Shahid Siddique, Brian J. Staskawicz, Gitta Coaker

This study shows that editing the PIRE gene in tomato enhances ROS production and resistance to foliar pathogens but not soilborne pathogens.

The Plant Cell · May 1, 2025Peer-reviewedPlant Biology