Disease resistance refers to the ability of a plant or animal to limit or withstand infection from a pathogen such as a virus, bacteria, or fungus. Organisms have developed complex immune systems over time to defend against disease-causing microbes.
In plants, disease resistance works through various molecular mechanisms. Plants may have pre-formed physical and chemical barriers that prevent infection in the first place. If pathogens breach these barriers, plants also have induced immune responses triggered by recognition of microbe-associated molecules. This induces signaling cascades leading to localized cell death to stop the spread of infection, as well as systemic acquired resistance throughout the plant.
Selective breeding and biotechnology are used to introduce disease resistance traits into agricultural crops to limit crop losses. For example, papaya plants have been genetically engineered to resist ringspot virus infection. Other management strategies like crop rotation also help break disease cycles.
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Back to plant and animal disease resistance...The specific genes and mechanisms that confer resistance are often complex and vary among host and pathogen. However, there are some commonalities. Resistant varieties express receptor proteins that recognize specific pathogen molecules like viral RNA or bacterial flagellin. This recognition triggers further signaling and defense responses like oxidative bursts, cell wall reinforcements, and antimicrobial compound production.
Some resistance traits involve a defensive hypersensitive response - deliberate programmed cell death around infection sites to deny the pathogen nutrition for growth. There are also resistant varieties that express chitinases and other enzymes that directly target and break down pathogen cell walls and membranes.
The ability to rapidly evolve is a key virulence strategy for many pathogens. This leads to new pathogen strains overcoming host resistance in an endless evolutionary arms race. Thus breeding for durable, broad-spectrum resistance is crucial but challenging. Understanding the genetic basis of plant-pathogen interactions guides these efforts.
In summary, disease resistance allows plants and animals to actively limit infection rather than being passive victims to pathogenic microbes. Immune systems and resistance traits evolved because they confer survival and reproductive fitness advantages. Managed well through informed breeding and biotechnology, disease resistance provides environmental and economic benefits by reducing agricultural losses. Robust disease resistance improves productivity and food security.