Advancing Plant Histopathology: Unraveling Plant-Pathogen Interactions and Disease Resistance Mechanisms

Plant histopathology is a critical field for understanding plant diseases, focusing on the emergence, development, and symptoms of diseases caused by various pathogens such as viruses, fungi, nematodes, and bacteria. In natural ecosystems, plants typically exhibit resistance to diseases, with disease occurrences being relatively rare. However, in agricultural settings characterized by low genetic diversity, diseases can significantly limit crop productivity. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of combining structural, ultrastructural, chemical, and molecular approaches to unravel the complex interactions between plants and pathogens. Despite these advancements, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of the detailed mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions and the histological responses of plant tissues to infections. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing effective disease management strategies and enhancing crop resilience.

This research topic aims to delve into the histopathological techniques used to study plant-disease interactions, introduce Omics tools for understanding pathogen colonization in plant tissues, and produce insights into the histology of non-host resistance. Additionally, the research will integrate emerging microscopy techniques to describe plant-pathogen interactions and generate high-level information on how plant tissues respond to pathogen infections. The primary objectives include answering specific questions about pathogen infection mechanisms, testing hypotheses related to plant tissue responses, and exploring the potential of new technologies in plant histopathology.

To gather further insights into the intricate dynamics of plant-pathogen interactions, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- How pathogens infect plant tissues and how plant tissues respond to infections
- Anatomy of diseased organs
- Crop growth and development under different biotic stressors
- Plant cell and tissue responses to infections
- Nutrient efficiency to control plant diseases
- Microbial colonization on vegetative and reproductive organs
- Crop resistance
- Stress tolerance (e.g., mitigation of oxidative stress)
- Plant metabolism
- Plant histopathology
- Plant-microbe interactions

This collection of articles aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of plant histopathology and its applications in improving plant health and disease management.

Keywords: plant histopathology, plant-pathology, plant-disease, crop resistance, stress tolerance, plant-microbe interactions

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.