Fungi's Role in Enhanced Plant Defense 2.0

Plants, like all living organisms, are under constant threat from a myriad of pathogens that can cause disease and death. Among these threats, fungi pose a significant challenge due to their ability to infiltrate plant tissues and establish themselves as persistent infections. To combat this, plants have evolved complex, multilayered defense systems aimed at both preventing initial colonization by fungal pathogens and limiting their spread once an infection has been established. 
 
This intricate dance between host and pathogen is the focus of the Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi entitled "The Role of Fungi in Plant Defense Mechanisms 2.0." We are calling for contributions from researchers globally who seek to advance our understanding of how plants defend against fungal invasion, with a particular emphasis on constitutive (inherent) and inducible defense systems. 
 
These defenses may be physical or chemical in nature; indeed, many plants employ a combination of both strategies. Physical barriers such as tough cell walls or specialized cells can prevent fungal ingress, while chemical defenses, including toxins, stress the physiology of invading fungi, making survival more difficult. 
 
However, it is not just the plant's arsenal we're interested in exploring; fungi too have developed sophisticated mechanisms for overcoming these defenses, which often involve their own suite of toxins that target specific aspects of plant biology. 
 
By bringing together experts working on different aspects within this field, we hope to facilitate knowledge exchange that will lead not only to increased fundamental understanding but also practical applications such as novel fungicides or crop varieties with enhanced resistance traits. In turn, this could safeguard economically important crops, thereby ensuring food security in the face increasing global challenges posed by climate change and population growth. 
 
We invite submissions until [deadline] through our online portal, www.mdpi.com, where potential contributors should register before submitting their manuscripts. All papers will undergo rigorous peer-review prior submission acceptance following which they will be published continuously throughout duration issue availability listed special website alongside other accepted articles Research reviews short communications equally welcomed For planned simply send us title short abstract (around 100 words) for preliminary consideration. 
 
Please note that all manuscripts should be original work not previously published or under consideration elsewhere. All submissions will undergo a rigorous single-blind peer-review process to ensure quality and relevance. For further information regarding manuscript submission, please refer to the Instructions for Authors page on our website. 
 
The Journal of Fungi is an internationally recognized open access journal published monthly by MDPI, offering researchers a platform to share their findings with the global scientific community without barriers due to accessibility or cost. The article processing charge (APC) for publication in this journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). 
 
Before submitting your manuscript, we strongly advise you to visit the Instructions for Authors page. If English is not your first language, MDPI offers an English editing service that can help refine your paper prior to submission or during author revisions. 
 
We look forward to receiving your contributions and enhancing our understanding of plant-fungal interactions in this exciting new era of research.