Plants that diverged 400 million of years ago share the same pathogen defense

Plants that diverged 400 million of years ago share the same pathogen defense. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that two plants which have not shared a common ancestor in 400 million years still use the same defense against Phytophthora palmivora, an aggressive pathogen that causes serious disease. The comparative analysis was focused on the common liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and the flowering plant Nicotiana benthamiana, or wild tobacco.  By studying how these plants respond to pathogen infections, the researchers have identified a group of microbe-responsive …