  The Guard-Guardee model for plant immunity describes how resistance proteins
(guards) in host cells monitor host target proteins (guardees) that are
manipulated by pathogen effector proteins. A recently suggested extension of
this model includes decoys, which are duplicated copies of guardee proteins,
and which have the sole function to attract the effector and, when modified by
the effector, trigger the plant immune response. Here we present a
proof-of-principle model for the functioning of decoys in plant immunity,
quantitatively developing this experimentally-derived concept. Our model links
the basic cellular chemistry to the outcomes of pathogen infection and
resulting fitness costs for the host. In particular, the model allows
identification of conditions under which it is optimal for decoys to act as
triggers for the plant immune response, and of conditions under which it is
optimal for decoys to act as sinks that bind the pathogen effectors but do not
trigger an immune response.
