Laticifers – among the most common defensive reservoirs in plants – are hypothesized to benefit plant fitness by preventing microbes from entering wounds. I argue that while latex seals wounds, and can suppress microbial growth, direct evidence that these processes benefit plant fitness is scarce. I outline a roadmap for filling this knowledge gap.

中文翻译：

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乳胶——植物对抗微生物的潜在防御手段

乳管素是植物中最常见的防御性储存库之一，据推测，它可以通过防止微生物进入伤口来有益于植物的健康。我认为，虽然乳胶可以密封伤口，并且可以抑制微生物生长，但表明这些过程有益于植物健康的直接证据却很少。我概述了填补这一知识空白的路线图。