Inceptin: Exploring Its Role as a Peptide Elicitor in Plant Defense Mechanisms

Plants have developed an intrinsic system to perceive and react to pathogenic microorganisms. A crucial aspect of plant immunity involves pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that identify conserved microbial- or herbivore-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs or HAMPs, respectively). Inceptin has been identified as a potent elicitor, which elicits a wide range of defense responses in plants, including the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), induction of defense-related genes, release of volatile organic compounds, and the accumulation of phytoalexins and other antimicrobial compounds. Inceptin recognition is mediated by specific receptor kinases present on the cell surface, initiating a complex signaling cascades which ultimately leads to the activation of defense responses. Recent research on inceptin has made it an attractive candidate for developing sustainable and environment-friendly crop protection strategy. This chapter summarizes the key features of inceptin based on previous investigations of receptor-mediated HAMP perception and signaling cascades. Furthermore, we also discuss the role of this peptide in underlying mechanisms in agriculture for enhancing plant defense responses and improving crop productivity.