How to resist parasitic plants: pre- and post-attachment strategies.

The lifecycle of parasitic plants can be divided into pre-attachment and post-attachment phases that equate to free living and parasitic stages. Similarly, plant resistance to parasitic plants can be defined as pre-attachment and post-attachment resistance. Parasitic plants rely on host cues for successful host invasion. During pre-attachment resistance, changes in the composition of host signals can disrupt parasitic plant development and ultimately host invasion. Recent studies have only now begun to elucidate the genetic elements in the host that promote pre-attachment resistance. In comparison, new research points to post-attachment resistance using the common molecular mechanisms utilized by the plant immune system during plant-pathogen interactions. In kind, parasitic plants secrete proteinaceous and RNA-based effectors post-attachment to subvert the host immune system.