The role of enzymes in plant-fungal pathogens interactions - Review

Specificity of the interact-ions between plants and pathogens is a very com prehensive phenomenon with complicated hierarchy on different levels of bio logical organization. Elucidation of this phenomenon is an important task o f contemporary plant pathology, including physiological and biochemical asp ects. To restrict the development of pathogens, the plants formed many defe nse mechanisms. Enzymes play one of the most important roles in the infecti on process and pathogenesis. Our recent understanding in this area is quite limited. Enhanced production of some enzymes is one of the crucial process es in plant defense. A relatively limited number of enzymes (e. g., cutinas e, cellulase, xylanase, pectinase, peroxidase, beta -1,3-glucanase, chitina se, catalase, amine oxidase and proteases) have been studied until now in r elation to the infection process and pathogenesis in plants. These enzymes occur frequently in many isoforms and are involved in synthesis of defense substances or have a direct antimicrobial activity. Involvement of various enzymes during the pathogenesis and their role in different stages of disea se development is analyzed, as well as practical usage of these data to sel ect the markers for disease resistance selection.