April 25, 2022 – The publication entitled “A fungal extracellular effector inactivates plant polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein in Nature Communications was highlighted in WSU News (written by Scott Weybright, CAHNRS science writer). We discovered a novel fungal effector PINE1 in the project led by Weidong Chen, adjunct professor at WSU and plant pathologist with the USDA-ARS. Tanaka was a co-author on the publication and his comments were quoted in the news. See also EurekAlert! and USDA News.

Discovery reveals how fungi bypasses plant defenses, kills plants