Arabidopsis thaliana genes encoding defense signaling and recognition proteins exhibit contrasting evolutionary dynamics.

ABSTRACT: The interplay between pathogen effectors, their host targets, and cognate recognition proteins provides various opportunities for antagonistic cycles of selection acting on plant and pathogen to achieve or abrogate resistance, respectively. Selection has previously been shown to maintain diversity in plant proteins involved in pathogen recognition and some of their cognate pathogen effectors. We analyzed the signatures of selection on 10 Arabidopsis thaliana genes encoding defense signal transduction proteins in plants, which are potential targets of pathogen effectors. There was insufficient evidence to reject neutral evolution for 6 genes encoding signaling components consistent with these proteins not being targets of effectors and/or indicative of constraints on their ability to coevol

SUBMITTER: Caldwell KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2644955 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature