Engineering Barriers to Infection by Undermining Pathogen Effector Function or by Gaining Effector Recognition

This chapter reviews potential disease control strategies by employing the current understanding of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) and their receptors, as well as effectors and their targets. It discusses how effectoromics, i.e. surveying which, and to what level, effectors are expressed at a pathogen population level, can help to select the most useful and durable R genes. Plant immunity can be boosted by overexpressing a Pattern-Recognition Receptor (PRR) in a closely- or more-distantly related plant to strengthen PAMP-Triggered Immunity (PTI). An interesting aspect of NB-LRR transcript regulation that involves small RNAs is currently emerging and could potentially be explored in the search for more durable and/or broad-spectrum pathogen resistance. The chapter suggests ways that can be used to undermine effector function and be exploited to engineer resistant plants in the future. It further illustrates how a mechanistic understanding of a pathogen's stealth strategies may allow new approaches to engineer resistance.