Zeitschrift für Pflanzenpathologie und Mikrobiologie

Abstrakt

Host-Pathogen Interaction and Roles in Plant Disease Management

Wendu Admasu Darge*

The ability to detect and mount a defense response to potential pathogenic microorganisms has been paramount to the evolution and developmental success of modern day plants. Plants are often exploited as a source of food and shelter by a wide range of parasites including viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects and even other plants. During the long history of co-evolution between host and pathogens, plant immune response has culminated in a highly defense system that is able to resist potential attack by microbial pathogens. Plant immune system is composed of strong surveillance systems, which recognize microbial molecules using signal transduction pathways that pose physiological responses that ultimately allow plants to switch from the growth and development mode into a defense mode, rejecting most potentially harmful microbes.

Host-pathogen interaction is the way in which a pathogen (virus, bacteria, prion, fungus and viroid) interacts with its host. Pathogens adapt to the host changes, and find alternative ways to survive and infect a host.

Interactions between disease resistance (R) genes in plants and their corresponding pathogen Avirulence (Avr) genes are the key determinants of whether a plant is susceptible or immune to a pathogen attack.

Plants resist diseases caused by the pathogens using passive constitutional plant resistance elements such as waxy layers, cuticles, cork layers, cell wall polymers, lenticels, stomas and trichomes, and active defence mechanism which involve accumulation of Phytoalexins, phenolics, ethylene, hydrolytic enzymes, peroxidases, and numerous stress-related proteins.