title: An update on polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP), a leucine-rich repeat protein that protects crop plants against pathogens.
abstract: Polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are cell wall proteins that inhibit the pectin-depolymerizing activity of polygalacturonases secreted by microbial pathogens and insects. These ubiquitous inhibitors have a leucine-rich repeat structure that is strongly conserved in monocot and dicot plants. Previous reviews have summarized the importance of PGIP in plant defense and the structural basis of PG-PGIP interaction; here we update the current knowledge about PGIPs with the recent findings on the composition and evolution of pgip gene families, with a special emphasis on legume and cereal crops. We also update the information about the inhibition properties of single pgip gene products against microbial PGs and the results, including field tests, showing the capacity of PGIP to protect crop plants against fungal, oomycetes and bacterial pathogens.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, Università della Tuscia Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Raviraj M
authors: RM
authors: Kalunke
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, Università della Tuscia Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Silvio
authors: S
authors: Tundo
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italy.
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Benedetti
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italy.
authors: Felice
authors: F
authors: Cervone
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma Roma, Italy.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: De Lorenzo
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, Università della Tuscia Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: D'Ovidio
keywords: bacterial pathogens; fungal pathogens; gene family; plant protection; polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins (PGIPs); transgenic plants