The secreted elicitor protein VmHrp1 from Valsa mali activates plant immunity through RLP26 to enhance disease resistance

Pathogenic fungi, such as Valsa mali, secrete effector proteins to suppress host immunity and promote infection. Plants counteract these attacks through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate immune responses. This study reports the identification and characterization of a hypersensitive response-inducing protein (VmHrp1) that comes from V. mali and belongs to the Alt a 1 family. We demonstrate that VmHrp1 induces cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana through receptor-like kinases (RLKs) SERK3 and SOBIR1. While deletion of VmHrp1 in V. mali did not affect virulence, its exogenous application boosted resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in N. benthamiana. Heterologous overexpression of VmHrp1 in apple plants triggered immune responses and enhanced resistance to V. mali. A receptor-like protein RLP26 was identified as the receptor mediating VmHrp1 perception in N. benthamiana. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), CRISPR/Cas9, and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we show that knockdown of RLP26 diminished VmHrp1-induced cell death and immune responses. In vivo interaction studies revealed that RLP26 binds specifically to VmHrp1, and its complex formation with SERK3 and SOBIR1 is essential for immune signaling. These findings suggest that VmHrp1 activates the plant immune response by interacting with RLP26, enhancing disease resistance in N. benthamiana.