RPS2 OF ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA - A LEUCINE-RICH REPEAT CLASS OF PLANT-DISEASE RESISTANCE GENES

Plant disease resistance genes function in highly specific pathogen re cognition pathways. RPS2 is a resistance gene of Arabidopsis thaliana that confers resistance against Pseudomonas syringae bacteria that exp ress avirulence gene avrRpt2. RPS2 was isolated by the use of a positi onal cloning strategy. The derived amino acid sequence of RPS2 contain s leucine-rich repeat, membrane-spanning, leucine zipper, and P loop d omains. The function of the RPS2 gene product in defense signal transd uction is postulated to involve nucleotide triphosphate binding and pr otein-protein interactions and may also involve the reception of an el icitor produced by the avirulent pathogen.