Transposon-associated amplifications are dominated by a previously underappreciated architecture, where the transposon is found only between, not flanking, the amplicons. These amplifications facilita...

Small molecules produced by TIR (Toll-interleukin-1 receptor) domains are essential for plant immune signaling. A central TIR-derived signal is 2'cADPR, a cyclic ADP-ribose (ADPR) molecule that is gen...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Abstract. The root microbiome is important for plant development. The impact of the root microbiome is the result of multiple complex interactions among mi

Plants monitor their environment for microbial invaders using pattern-recognition receptors that detect microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Flagellin, the main component of bacterial flagellum, contains the flg22 epitope recognized by the plant immune receptor FLS2. Immune recognition can create an evolutionary conflict, requiring bacteria to balance flagellar function and immune evasion. Here, we show that plant-associated Sphingomonads resolve this constraint by partitioning two flagellar functions, motility and colonization, across two divergent and independently acquired flagellin genes. Comparative genomics revealed widespread coexistence of FliC proteins expressing either an immunogenic variant (FliC-H) or a non-immunogenic variant (FliC-L). The non-immunogenic FliC-L is necessary and sufficient for full directional swimming, whereas FliC-H is dispensable for swimming, but sufficient for full attachment and colonization. Flagellin expression patterns mirror these functions. Thus, FLS2 recognizes the flagellar variant required for colonization rather than motility, potentially restricting colonizing bacteria from entering internal leaf and root tissues. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. European Molecular Biology Organization, https://ror.org/04wfr2810, ALTF 743-2019 U.S. National Science Foundation, https://ror.org/021nxhr62, IOS-2416244 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, https://ror.org/006w34k90, Jefferey L. Dangl Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, https://ror.org/01h531d29, 532852-2019 Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, https://ror.org/004hzzk67, 2021.0102

Split-And-pool Metagenomic Plot-sampling sequencing (SAMPL-seq) can be applied to complex microbial communities to reveal spatial co-localization of microbes at the micron scale.

Extracellular contractile injection systems (eCISs) are bacteriophage tail-derived toxin delivery complexes that are present in many prokaryotes. Here, the authors present an analysis of eCIS tail fib...

Insertion sequence (IS) elements are transposable regions of DNA present in a majority of bacterial genomes. It is hypothesized that differences in distributions of IS elements across bacterial strain...

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