title: Interference between Two Specific Pathogen Recognition Events Mediated by Distinct Plant Disease Resistance Genes.
abstract: We demonstrate that the interaction of the avirulence gene avrRpt2 and the cognate resistance gene RPS2 interferes with the interaction of avrRpm1-RPM1 in Arabidopsis. Interference is mediated outside of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, presumably at the level of recognition of avr-dependent signals, yet does not require the wild-type RPS2 product. A numerical excess of P. syringae expressing avrRpm1 can overcome this interference in mixed inoculations. The interference of avrRpt2-RPS2 engagement with RPM1-dependent functions is mirrored by transcriptional activation of genes preferentially expressed during RPM1- or RPS2-mediated disease resistance reactions. This demonstration of interference between two plant disease resistance genes suggests that their products compete for a common element(s) in a signal transduction pathway leading to disease resistance.
authors.affiliation: Max-Delbruck Laboratory, Carl-von-Linne Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: C.
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: J. L.
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dangl