An atypical N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor enables the viability of nematode-resistant Rhg1 soybeans

Significance N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and α-soluble NSF attachment protein (α-SNAP) are key components of vesicle trafficking systems and are conserved across eukaryotes. This study shows that these two essential housekeeping proteins have coevolved toward atypical forms in soybean to confer resistance to a highly damaging nematode pathogen while balancing plant fitness. We report discovery of a naturally occurring NSF variant...