{
  "id": 19724422,
  "title": "Plant sensing mechanism guards against pests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/plant-sensing-mechanism-guards-against-pests",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-12T23:20:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-11-mechanism-pests.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A groundbreaking study published in Nature on November 12, 2026, has unveiled a novel plant sensing mechanism that guards against insect pests. Researchers from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Chen Xiaoya in collaboration with Wan Li's team, have identified how plants perceive and respond to insect attacks. During feeding, herbivorous insects such as the rice green stink bug secrete the T2 ribonuclease NVR1, which generates 2'3'-cyclic nucleotides (2'3'-cNMPs) within plant tissues. These 2'3'-cNMPs are recognized by NIB1, a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein in rice, leading to the promotion of liquid-liquid phase separation of NIB1 and the formation of nuclear condensates. This process recruits the core immune regulator EDS1, activating downstream defense responses. While T2 ribonucleases are common in various herbivorous insects, NIB1-homologous RNA-binding proteins are widely distributed among land plants. The researchers suggest that this signaling mechanism could be a broadly employed strategy in plant-insect interactions. Exogenous application of these RNA degradation products has also been found to elicit plant defense responses, indicating their potential as immune activators for crop protection. This discovery not only provides a conceptual advancement but also opens avenues for further exploration of RNA-centered networks in plant immunity and adaptation, and offers potential applications in plant protection.",
  "summary": "A new study has identified a previously unknown mechanism by which plants sense insect attack and activate defense responses.",
  "key_points": [
    "Researchers identify plant sensing mechanism against insect pests",
    "T2 ribonuclease NVR1 generates 2'3-cyclic nucleotides (2'3-cNMPs)",
    "NIB1 protein activates defense responses in plants"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}