Lipid droplets at the interface of plant defense and pathogen exploitation
Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) are increasingly recognized as dynamic organelles involved in lipid metabolism, organelle communication, and stress responses. During plant-pathogen interactions, LDs undergo extensive remodeling, including changes in abundance, lipid composition, intracellular distribution, and associated proteins. Recent studies indicate that bacterial and fungal infections consistently promote LD accumulation and proteome reprogramming. This supports emerging roles for LDs in antimicrobial metabolism, defense signaling, membrane remodeling, and cellular homeostasis. However, these organelles may also provide metabolic resources that pathogens exploit to promote infection. Beyond bacterial and fungal pathogens, recent evidence suggests that plant viruses could also manipulate LD biology to facilitate replication compartment biogenesis, membrane remodeling, and potentially virus movement. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on LD dynamics during plant-pathogen interactions, compare LD responses across different pathogen lifestyles, and discuss the dual roles of LDs in plant immunity. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework in which LD functions may support host defense, be actively manipulated by pathogens, thereby providing a broader perspective on the diverse roles of LDs in determining disease outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{arvy2026lipid,
title = {{Lipid droplets at the interface of plant defense and pathogen exploitation}},
author = {Nathalie Arvy and Marguerite Batsale and Sara Shakir and Léna Jambou and Claire Bréhélin and Sylvie German-Retana},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1911736},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05786706v1},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Lipid droplets at the interface of plant defense and pathogen exploitation
AU - Nathalie Arvy
AU - Marguerite Batsale
AU - Sara Shakir
AU - Léna Jambou
AU - Claire Bréhélin
AU - Sylvie German-Retana
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/21
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1911736
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05786706v1
AB - Lipid droplets (LDs) are increasingly recognized as dynamic organelles involved in lipid metabolism, organelle communication, and stress responses. During plant-pathogen interactions, LDs undergo extensive remodeling, including changes in abundance, lipid composition, intracellular distribution, and associated proteins. Recent studies indicate that bacterial and fungal infections consistently promote LD accumulation and proteome reprogramming. This supports emerging roles for LDs in antimicrobial metabolism, defense signaling, membrane remodeling, and cellular homeostasis. However, these organelles may also provide metabolic resources that pathogens exploit to promote infection. Beyond bacterial and fungal pathogens, recent evidence suggests that plant viruses could also manipulate LD biology to facilitate replication compartment biogenesis, membrane remodeling, and potentially virus movement. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on LD dynamics during plant-pathogen interactions, compare LD responses across different pathogen lifestyles, and discuss the dual roles of LDs in plant immunity. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework in which LD functions may support host defense, be actively manipulated by pathogens, thereby providing a broader perspective on the diverse roles of LDs in determining disease outcomes.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -