Plant disease resistance genes: function meets structure

The coevolution of interacting plants and microbes has given rise to a diverse array of exchanged signals and responses. Microbes that elicit a host response can be met variously with hospitable acceptance (as is the case with symbionts such as nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria), with tardy recogni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Plant cell 1996-10, Vol.8 (10), p.1757-1771
Main Author: Bent, A.F. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.)
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AGENT PATHOGENE
Amino acids
AVIRULENCE GENES
AVR GENES
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
BIOLOGIE MOLECULAIRE
DEFENCE MECHANISMS
DISEASE RESISTANCE
ENFERMEDADES DE LAS PLANTAS
GENE
GENE FOR GENE RELATIONSHIP
GENE FOR GENE RESISTANCE
GENES
GENETICA
GENETICA MOLECULAR
GENETICS
GENETIQUE
GENETIQUE MOLECULAIRE
LITERATURE REVIEWS
MALADIE DES PLANTES
MECANISME DE DEFENSE
MECANISMOS DE DEFENSA
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
MOLECULAR GENETICS
ORGANISMOS PATOGENOS
PATHOGENS
Plant cells
PLANT DISEASES
PLANT PROTEINS
PLANTAS
PLANTE
PLANTS
PROTEIN KINASE
PROTEINA QUINASA
PROTEINE KINASE
Proteins
R GENES
Receptors
RESISTANCE AUX MALADIES
Resistance Responses
RESISTENCIA A LA ENFERMEDAD
Signal transduction
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Summary:The coevolution of interacting plants and microbes has given rise to a diverse array of exchanged signals and responses. Microbes that elicit a host response can be met variously with hospitable acceptance (as is the case with symbionts such as nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria), with tardy recognition and moderately effective defenses (as for most interactions that result in disease), or with a strong and rapid defense response that blocks further infection. This latter form of disease resistance forms the subject of this review and is known variously as race-specific resistance, gene-for-gene resistance, or hypersensitive resistance. Activation of gene-for-gene resistance typically depends on specific recognition of the invading pathogen by the plant. Numerous individual plant genes have been identified that control gene-for-gene resistance, and these genes are known as resistance (R) genes. Study of gene-for-gene resistance might be justified solely by the intrigue of plant-pathogen coevolution or as a model for signal transduction research in which an organism perceives and responds to its environment. However, the topic takes on greater interest due to its pivotal impact on crop health and food production. Plant diseases cause billions of dollars in lost harvest annually, and in some instances, these losses have severe consequences for humans. One of the most convenient, inexpensive, and environmentally sound ways to control plant disease is to utilize disease-resistant varieties, and plant breeders make extensive use of classically defined R genes. Recent work has revealed the structure of a number of plant R genes, and a striking degree of similarity among these genes has been observed. After briefly introducing the subject of R genes and avirulence (Avr) genes, this review provides an overview of the conserved structural components that are predicted in the proteins encoded by R genes. The cloning of R genes has stimulated additional research that is also discussed, including structure-function analysis of R gene-encoded proteins, isolation of additional R genes, identification of functionally related components of the defense signal transduction cascade, and engineering of improved disease resistance in plants.
ISSN:1040-4651
1532-298X
DOI:10.1105/tpc.8.10.1757