One key defense strategy involves recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are distinctive molecules that signal the presence of microbial intruders. Among the most important ...

These molecules are collectively known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and they are expressed in a wide variety of microorganisms, including those that do not cause disease.

Plants have two basic immune pathways. First, a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) on the plant cell’s surface recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) released by invaders—say, the ...