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
Significance:
-
Changes in host create consitions unsuitable
for pathogen.
-
Pathogens of one species well adapted
to defenses of the host, but NOT to defenses from other plants.
Thus, it may be better to use genes from other species
for genetic engineering in Brassica, or to use Brassica genes
in other species.