The multifaceted roles of autophagy in plant immunity

Abstract

Autophagy is a highly conserved trafficking pathway that mediates selective degradation of intracellular components via the vacuole or lysosome. Although its roles in cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation are well characterized, the specific functions of autophagy in plant immunity remain incompletely understood. Emerging evidence reveals that autophagy dynamically modulates plant immune responses, contributing to both resistance and susceptibility to a broad spectrum of pathogens. In this review, we explore recent advances in understanding the multifaceted roles of autophagy in plant immunity, with an emphasis on its mechanistic contributions to plant–microbe interactions.