Molecular characterization of endogenous plant virus resistance genes.

Plants are exposed to a wide variety of threats. One of the most difficult to counteract is that posed by pathogens. Pathogens constantly adapt to invade plants and take advantage of them. Plants have developed a wide array of defence mechanisms to avoid pathogen infection and limit their detrimental effects on growth and development. These defence mechanisms are continuously being updated to keep in line with the pathogens arsenal development. One of the best studied disease models in plants is the Tobacco mosaic virus-tobacco interaction. A century ago, this virus was the first to be isolated and structurally characterized. Its pathogenicity on tobacco has been studied for decades. In this chapter, recent developments in the characterization of plant resistance genes that are effective against plant viruses will be discussed using Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a prime example.