Non-invasive imaging of defence responses in plants

A Anastasia V. Balakireva T Tatiana A. Karataeva M Michael Karampelias T Tatiana Yu Mitiouchkina V Viktor V. Morozov J Jan Macháček E Ekaterina S. Shakhova M Maxim M. Perfilov O Olga A. Belozerova S Sergey I. Kovalchuk K Kseniia A. Palkina N Nikola Drážná Z Zuzana Vondráková K Karel Müller (Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences) T Tetiana Kalachova A Aubin Fleiss J Josefina Patricia Fernandez-Moreno J Jose M. Alonso A Anna N. Stepanova L Liliia I. Fakhranurova N Nadezhda M. Markina D Dmitry A. Gorbachev E Evgenia N. Bugaeva G Galina M. Delnova V Vladimir V. Choob I Ilia V. Yampolsky J Jan Petrášek A Alexander S. Mishin K Karen S. Sarkisyan

Abstract

Abstract Jasmonic and salicylic acids are key hormones involved in plant responses to pests and pathogens. Existing fluorescence-based approaches to imaging plant defence hormones are constrained by the need for external illumination and by autofluorescence of plant tissues, while luminescence-based ones require exogenous substrates. Here, we use jasmonate- and salicylate-responsive promoters to engineer autoluminescent plants that report hormone signalling activity with up to a 53-fold contrast. Using consumer-grade cameras, we image reporter Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana plants throughout normal development and in response to pest and pathogen attacks, visualising local and systemic responses. Because the luminescence is self-sustained, these reporters enable non-invasive, substrate-free imaging of defence signalling over extended time courses without specialised equipment.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 17, Issue 1
Published March 13, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (29)

A

Anastasia V. Balakireva

T

Tatiana A. Karataeva

M

Michael Karampelias

T

Tatiana Yu Mitiouchkina

V

Viktor V. Morozov

J

Jan Macháček

E

Ekaterina S. Shakhova

M

Maxim M. Perfilov

O

Olga A. Belozerova

S

Sergey I. Kovalchuk

K

Kseniia A. Palkina

N

Nikola Drážná

Z

Zuzana Vondráková

K

Karel Müller

Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

T

Tetiana Kalachova

A

Aubin Fleiss

J

Josefina Patricia Fernandez-Moreno

J

Jose M. Alonso

A

Anna N. Stepanova

L

Liliia I. Fakhranurova

N

Nadezhda M. Markina

D

Dmitry A. Gorbachev

E

Evgenia N. Bugaeva

G

Galina M. Delnova

V

Vladimir V. Choob

I

Ilia V. Yampolsky

J

Jan Petrášek

A

Alexander S. Mishin

K

Karen S. Sarkisyan