Genes of Microorganisms: Paving Way to Tailor Next Generation Fungal Disease Resistant Crop Plants

Abstract

The automation of sequencing technologies, flooding in the knowledge of plant-pathogen interactions and advancements in bioinformatics provide tools leading to better knowledge not only of the genome of plant pathogens or microorganism beneficial to plants but also of ways of incorporating genes from microbes into plants as microbial-derived resistance. The identification of various microorganism genes playing key role during pathogensis and the dissection of the signal transduction components of the hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance pathways have greatly increased the diversity of options available for tailoring fungus resistant crops. The genetically engineered plants carrying these genes showed spontaneous activation of different defense mechanisms, leading the plant in an elevated state of defense. This ‘defense mode’ greatly enhances the plant’s ability to quickly react to a pathogen invasion and more successfully overcome the infection. The aim of this review is to highlight the dynamic use of genes of microorganisms in enhancing crop tolernace towards fungal intruders by examining the most relevant research in this field.