Plant immunity and beyond: Signals from proteins & peptides

Plants are the primary and most important source of food for human consumption, besides their ecological importance, since they define the diverse ecosystems worldwide. Because of their position in the ecological chain as primary supplier of biomass and food for other organisms, plants are also fundamental for animals, fungi and microorganisms, and some of them are also beneficial to other plants. Humans rely mostly on plant products for food, and many plants provide important non-food products, including wood, textiles, medicines, cosmetics, soaps, rubber, plastics, paints and other industrial chemicals. Moreover, plants are also fundamental for animal feeding, including not only mammals (e.g. cattle, sheep and goats), but also poultry and aquaculture (e.g., fish and shrimp farming).