Disease resistance signalling in Arabidopsis : applications in the study of plant pathology in South Africa : review article

The model plant Arabidopsis thalianal/Ig is an excellent tool for the investigation of the molecular basis of disease resistance. Evidence is emerging from the study of lIgArabidopsisl/Ig mutants for a complex signal transduction network that underlies the development of disease resistance. Salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) play important roles in this network and are required for resistance to different pathogens. Moreover, SA-dependent signalling is associated with resistance to biotrophic pathogens, whereas JA/ET signalling is associated with resistance to necrotrophic pathogens. The challenge now for South African plant biologists is to apply the knowledge gained from lIgArabidopsisl/Ig to the study of agriculturally important pathogens in South Africa.