Integrative model of plant immunity to pathogens and stresses: A multilevel signal-metabolic network
Abstract
The study presents an innovative integrative model of plant immune architecture, based on the utilization of autophagy as a key regulator of multilevel immune cascades. The proposed approach establishes the foundation for a new practical paradigm in crop science – “immune management,” which enables targeted regulation of the balance between autophagy, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hormonal signaling, and regenerative processes. The concept of autophagic priming provides the basis for preventive immunity, substantially enhancing both the speed and efficiency of crop adaptation to diverse pathogens and stress factors. The practical significance of this model lies in its potential for the development of immunomodulatory bioproducts, the breeding of cultivars with broad-spectrum stress resistance, and the design of flexible agro-technological schemes aimed at yield stability and reduced reliance on chemical crop protection. The integration of biological inducers, microbiome-based products, and precision farming technologies paves the way for next-generation agricultural systems capable of ensuring sustainable production under variable climatic conditions. The cumulative economic effect of implementing autophagic priming and fourth-generation bioproducts worldwide is estimated at 15–25 billion USD annually, highlighting their pote n tial as a key driver of global transformation in the crop protection market.References
Ali, S., Tyagi, A., & Mir, Z. A. (2024). Plant immunity: At the crossroads of pathogen perception and defense response. Plants, 13(11), 1434.
Dong, Y., & Quan, C. (2024). NPFs-mediated actin cytoskeleton: A new viewpoint on autophagy regulation. Cell Communication and Signaling, 22, 111.
Feng, L., Li, X., Zheng, X., Zhao, Z., Liu, Q.-J., Jun, Z., & Caiji, G. (2025). SnRK1 and TOR: Central regulators of autophagy in plant energy stress responses. aBIOTECH, in press.
Galaud, J.-P., Genin, S., & Aldon, D. (2025). Pathogen effectors hijack calcium signaling to promote virulence. Trends in Plant Science, 30(5), 356–363.
Gross, A. S. (2025). Autophagy in plant health and disease. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 76, 197–227.
Haghpanah, M., Namdari, A., Kaleji, M. K., Nikbakht-Dehkordi, A., Arzani, A., & Araniti, F. (2025). Interplay between ROS and hormones in plant defense against pathogens. Plants, 14(9), 1297.
He, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhang, H., Wang, Y., Li, X., Liu, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2024). From plant immunity to crop disease resistance. Science China Life Sciences, 67(8), 1715–1726.
Hilker, M., & Schmülling, T. (2019). Stress priming, memory, and signalling in plants. Plant, Cell and Environment, 42(3), 753–761.
Jones, J. D. G., Vance, R. E., & Dangl, J. L. (2024). The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment. Cell, 187(8), 1942–1961.
Kashtoh, H., Rabbee, M. F., & Baek, K. H. (2025). New insights into plant signaling mechanisms in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Plants, 14(13), 1953.
Khablak, S. H., Bondareva, L. M., Dolia, M. M., Blume, Y. B., Tymoshchuk, T. M., Mrynskyi, I. M., Hrytsiuk, N. V., Spychak, V. M. (2025). Resistance of new sunflower hybrids to sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana) and the possibility of their use in the strategy of protection against the parasite. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems, 16(2), e25063.
Khablak, S. H., Spychak, V. M., & Abdullaieva, Y. А. (2025). Involvement of cell wall components in plant protection reactions against pathogens. Bulletin of Sumy National Agrarian University: Agronomy and Biology, 58(4), 130–145.
Leisner, C. P., Potnis, N., & Sanz-Saez, A. (2023). Crosstalk and trade-offs: Plant responses to climate stressors and pathogens. Plant, Cell and Environment, 46(11), 3327–3345.
Li, Y., Huang, W., Jones, A. M. P., & Vierstra, R. D. (2023). Mechanisms of autophagy function and regulation in plant growth and development. Trends in Plant Science, 28(12), 1123–1140.
Movahedi, A., Aghaei-Dargiri, S., Barati, B., Kadkhodaei, S., Wei, H., Sangari, S., Yang, L., & Xu, C. (2022). Plant immunity is regulated by biological, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Agronomy, 12(11), 2790.
Ngou, B. P. M., Heal, R., Wyler, M., & Weigel, D. (2022). Concerted expansion and contraction of immune receptor gene repertoires in plant genomes. Nature Plants, 8(10), 1146–1152.
Patyka, M. V., Khablak, S. H., Patyka, T. I., Bondareva, L. M., Dolia, M. M., Spychak, V. M., & Lykholat, Y. V. (2025). Evolution of immune mechanisms in monocots and dicots in response to microbial pathogens and abiotic stressors. Biosystems Diversity, 33(2), e2531.
Petersen, M., Avin-Wittenberg, T., Bassham, D. C., Dagdas, Y., Fan, C., Fernie, A. R., Jiang, L., Mishra, D., Otegui, M. S., Rodríguez, E., & Hofius, D. (2024). Autophagy in plants. Autophagy Reports, 3(1), 2395731.
Son, S., & Park, S. R. (2022). Climate change impedes plant immunity mechanisms. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1032820.
Wang, P., Mugume, Y., & Bassham, D. C. (2021). Plant autophagy: An intricate process controlled by multiple signaling pathways. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 754982.
Yagyu, M., & Yoshimoto, K. (2024). New insights into plant autophagy: Molecular mechanisms and roles in development and stress responses. Journal of Experimental Botany, 75(5), 1234–1251.
Yuan, M., Cai, B., & Xin, X.-F. (2023). Plant immune receptor pathways as a united front against pathogens. PLoS Pathogens, 19(2), e1011106.
Yuan, M., Ngou, B. P. M., Ding, P., & Xin, X.-F. (2021). PTI-ETI crosstalk: An integrative view of plant immunity. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 62, 102030.
Zhao, S., & Li, Y. (2021). Current understanding of the interplays between host hormones and plant viral infections. PLoS Pathogens, 17(2), e1009242.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons «Attribution» 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.


