{
  "id": 3837214,
  "title": "Primed and ready to fight, a nematode pheromone arms plants to battle pathogens",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/primed-and-ready-to-fight-a-nematode-pheromone-arms-plants-to-battle",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T22:50:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-primed-ready-nematode-pheromone-arms.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When plants face threats from pathogenic organisms, their immune systems can be bolstered through a natural compound known as ascaroside 18 (ascr#18). This nematode-derived pheromone primes plant immunity, heightening their defense responses without the energy cost typically associated with full immune activation. By increasing chromatin accessibility at defense genes, ascr#18 enables plants to respond more quickly and robustly against a range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and nematodes. This immune priming effect has been demonstrated in various crops, such as corn and soybean, leading to reduced disease severity and improved yields. Remarkably, seed treatment with ascr#18 can provide immune benefits from the start of the growing season, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution to combat plant diseases that threaten global food security.",
  "summary": "When cold and flu season comes around, we take steps like getting our flu shots and taking immune supplements to strengthen our bodies' defenses against pathogens. Plants face pathogenic threats, too. Plant pathogens can have devastating effects on crop yields, with up to 40% of global food crops lost annually, and such losses have severe implications for food security. But what if we could boost…",
  "key_points": [],
  "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."
}