The complex roles of autophagy in plant immunity

Plant immunity is the result of multiple distinct cellular processes cooperating with each other to generate immune responses. Autophagy is a conserved cellular recycling process and has well‐established roles in nutrient starvation responses and cellular homeostasis. Recently, the role of autophagy in immunity has become increasingly evident. However, our knowledge about plant autophagy remains limited, and how this fundamental cellular process is involved in plant immunity is still somewhat perplexing. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the positive and negative roles of autophagy in plant immunity and how different microbes exploit this process to their own advantage. The dualistic role of autophagy in plant immunity emphasizes that much remains to be explored in this area. Significant insight into how a system for cellular degradation and recycling such as autophagy is involved in plant immunity has recently emerged. Many host pathways can positively or negatively modulate autophagy and the associated immune responses. Additionally, multiple plant microbes are able to manipulate autophagy. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the interplay between autophagy and plant defence.