Xing W, Zou Y, Liu Q, Liu J, Luo X, Huang Q, Chen S, Zhu L, Bi R, Hao Q, Wu JW, Zhou JM, Chai J. The structural basis for activation of plant immunity by bacterial effector protein AvrPto. NATURE 449(7159):243-7, 2007

Abstract Pathogenic microbes use effectors to enhance susceptibility in host plants. However, plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to detect these effectors using cognate disease resistance proteins, a recognition that is highly specific, often elicits rapid and localized cell death, known as a hypersensitive response, and thus potentially limits pathogen growth. Despite numerous genetic and biochemical studies on the interactions between pathogen effector proteins and plant resistance proteins, the structural bases for such interactions remain elusive. The direct interaction between the tomato protein kinase Pto and the Pseudomonas syringae effector protein AvrPto is known to trigger disease resistance and programmed cell death through the nucleotide-binding site/leucine-ric......