Discovery of ‘NO burst’ could help save world’s favourite banana from deadly fungus

Panama disease

Source: © Yong Zhang et al/Springer Nature Limited 2024

Fungus found to flood host with nitric oxide to beat plants’ immune system 

Interrupting a fungus-produced ‘nitric oxide (NO) burst’ may be key to saving the world’s most popular banana from extinction. Research into how a fungus both causes Panama disease and protects itself from nitric oxide-induced stress could open new avenues to combat the destructive infection in banana plants.