A pair of chitosan receptors confer broad-spectrum fungal resistance
Chitosan, a major fungal cell wall component, activates plant immunity, yet the underlying perception mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we identified OsFID1, an apoplast-localized DUF26 domain protein, as a chitosan-binding receptor essential for chitosan-triggered immunity. OsFID1 forms a receptor complex with OsFID2, a plasma membrane–localized DUF26 receptor-like kinase, to mediate chitosan sensing and immune activation, requiring OsFID2 phosphorylation for function. The OsFID1-OsFID2 complex confers broad-spectrum resistance to fungal pathogens. OsFID1 homologs are conserved in land plants, which show chitosan-binding activity in both monocots and dicots. Ectopic expression of OsFID1 in wheat and maize enhanced fungal resistance without growth penalty. These findings uncover a conserved receptor complex for direct chitosan sensing, advancing our understanding of plant-fungus interactions and providing a potential strategy for engineering durable fungal resistance crops.
Authors
- Wenzhao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1335-7434)
- Shengben Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2036-9078)
- Zheng Qing Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1519-6192)
- Yiwen Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6074-5704)
- Heng Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8193-9236)
- Jijie Chai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7591-3873)
- Wensheng Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4852-8106)
- Keyi Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4093-2710)
- Sun Tae Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3853-1419)
- Guangzheng Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8353-4109)
- Shangyu Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5522-1386)
- Kenichi Tsuda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7074-0731)
- Qin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1079-5914)
- Guosheng Xiong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4312-1676)
- Jingni Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4819-0347)
- Qin Gu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3722-6375)
- Baolei Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6434-5604)
- Jinbiao Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6142-6708)
- Ming Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7049-8666)
- Yiming Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0513-9039)
- Min Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7055-6790)
- Huan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1182-3144)
- Yingqiao Wan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7875-0735)
- Zhengguang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8253-4505)
- Gang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1744-5220)
- Zhongji Pu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1046-7336)
- Yu Cao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2263-4234)
- Xiquan Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5456-4539)
- Dacheng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3525-7820)
- Yuhua Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7208-7202)
- Xue Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8161-9141)
- Yingying Cao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1321-1145)
- Yulin Du (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6010-3453)
- Aoshen Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1147-3774)
Institutions
- Nanjing Agricultural University (CN)
- Anhui Agricultural University (CN)
- University of South Carolina (US)
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CN)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Huazhong Agricultural University (CN)
- Westlake University (CN)
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CN)
- Pusan National University (KR)
- China Agricultural University (CN)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Northwest A&F University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2026-10-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady7647
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.50
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Research Foundation of Korea