A fungal pathogen secretes plant alkalinizing peptides to increase infection

Plant infections caused by fungi are often associated with an increase in the pH of the surrounding host tissue1. Extracellular alkalinization is thought to contribute to fungal pathogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that the root-infecting fungus Fusarium oxysporum uses a functional homologue of the plant regulatory peptide RALF (rapid alkalinization factor)2,3 to induce alkalinization and cause disease...