BASIC COMPATIBILITY
IS A SPECIALIZED EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION
Rationale:
Basic
compatibility - adapatation of a fungal race or species to a specific host
When basic
compatibility exists, pathogen must be able to
grow efficiently
in host's "environment"
overcome
or evade host defenses
Evolution
tends towards specialization
Postulate:
Evolution of host and pathogen would be expected to be accompanied by changes
in defense gene expression.
Hypothetical expression patterns
a - defense response
b - altered response; may or may not affect resistance
c - susceptible interaction
d - altered response; may or may not affect resistance
Significance:
Changes
in host create conditions unsuitable for pathogen.
Pathogens
of one species well adapted to defenses of the host, but NOT to defenses
from other plants.
Would it be better to
use defense genes from heterologous species for genetic engineering?
