Towards the general theory of immunity
Department of Micology and Algology, Biological Faculty of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow University
Moscow U 9992
e-mail: diakov@herba.msu.ru
The molecular studies of plant immunity resulted in revealing general pattern in the mechanisms of innate resistance of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. These studies removed an ambiguity in the estimate of the role of different immunomodulators (supressors, specific and non-specific elicitors) of plant parasites, and allowed approaching the general theory of immunity. Such theory could be based on guard model of Biezen and Jones (1999), according to which the specific elicitors of parasites work as a factor of pathogens. Their ability to suppress the immune response to infection is determined by bounding of signal proteins of plants and stopping the transmission of signal to the factors that regulate transcription. Resistance proteins recognize the complex and interacting with it turn the cellular metabolism to the induction of defense response.
