Fungal disease resistance in plants: biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetic engineering

Abstract

* About the Editor * Contributors * Foreword (Sophien Kamoun) * Preface * Chapter 1. Signal Transduction in Plant Defense Responses to Fungal Infection (Dierk Scheel and Thorsten Nuernberger) * Introduction and Background * Signals and Signal Delivery in Plant-Fungus/Oomycete Interactions * Signal Perception--A Complex Matter * Cellular Signaling--A Matter of Networks * Conclusions * Chapter 2. Cellular Expression of Resistance to Fungal Plant Pathogens (Denny G. Mellersh and Michele C. Heath) * Introduction * Background * Detailed Review * Use of Transgenic Plants to Study Expression of Resistance at the Cellular Level * Current Work in Our Laboratory * Concluding Remarks * Chapter 3. The Hypersensitive Response and Its Role in Disease Resistance (Hans-Peter Stuible and Erich Kombrink) * Introduction * Features of the Hypersensitive Response * Proteins Involved in Pathogen Recognition and Initiation of HR Cell Death * Small Molecules Involved in Signaling and Execution of HR Cell Death * Negative Regulatory Components * Is Protein Degradation Important for Execution of HR Cell Death? * The Role of Cell Organelles in HR Induction * Is HR Cell Death Required for Resistance? * Do Plant Pathogens Modulate the HR in an Active Manner? * Development of Transgenic Plants: Exploitation of HR for Disease Control * Conclusions and Future Directions * Chapter 4. Fungal (A)Virulence Factors at the Crossroads of Disease Susceptibility and Resistance (N. Westerink, M. H. A. J. Joosten, and P. J. G. M. de Wit) * Introduction * Background * Fungal (A)Virulence Genes with Genotype and Species Specificity * Pathogens with Evolved Mechanisms to Counteract Plant Defense Responses * Plant Genes that Confer Resistance Toward Fungi and Oomycetes * Perception of Avr Gene Products by Resistant Plant Genotypes * Development of Transgenic Plants That Display Broad Resistance Against Pathogens * Conclusions and Future Directions * Chapter 5. Pathogenesis-Related Proteins and Their Roles in Resistance to Fungal Pathogens (Jayaraman Jayaraj, Ajith Anand, and Subbaratnam Muthukrishnan) * Introduction * Classification of PR Proteins * Nondefense Functions of PR Proteins and PR-Like Proteins * Natural and Synthetic Elicitors of PR-Protein Genes * Mechanisms That Protect Pathogens from PR Proteins * Transgenic Plants Expressing Single Genes for PR Proteins * Transgenic Plants with Combinations of PR Proteins * Conclusions * Chapter 6. Induced Plant Resistance to Fungal Pathogens: Mechanisms and Practical Applications (Ray Hammerschmidt) * Introduction * Background * Mechanisms of Induced Resistance to Fungal Pathogens * The Application of Induced Resistance * Transgenic Plants and Induced Resistance to Fungi * Current Research Program on Induced Resistance in Cucumber * Conclusions * Chapter 7. Genetic Engineering of Plants to Enhance Resistance to Fungal Pathogens (Zamir K. Punja) * Introduction * Genetic Engineering Approaches * Activation of Plant Defense Responses * Resistance Genes (R Genes) * Challenges * Index * Reference Notes Included