Wheat zinc finger protein TaZF interacts with both the powdery mildew AvrPm2 protein and the corresponding wheat Pm2a immune receptor.

Plant defense responses to pathogens are induced after direct or indirect perception of effector proteins or their activity on host proteins. In fungal-plant interactions, relatively little is known about whether, in addition to avirulence effectors and immune receptors, other proteins contribute to specific recognition. The nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptor Pm2a in wheat recognizes the fungal powdery mildew effector AvrPm2.

Ancient variation of the gene in powdery mildew limits the effectiveness of the introgressed rye resistance gene in wheat.

Introgressions of chromosomal segments from related species into wheat are important sources of resistance against fungal diseases. The durability and effectiveness of introgressed resistance genes upon agricultural deployment is highly variable-a phenomenon that remains poorly understood, as the corresponding fungal avirulence genes are largely unknown. Until its breakdown, the resistance gene introgressed from rye to wheat provided broad resistance against powdery mildew ().

Identification of specificity-defining amino acids of the wheat immune receptor Pm2 and powdery mildew effector AvrPm2.

Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) act as intracellular sensors for pathogen-derived effector proteins and trigger an immune response, frequently resulting in the hypersensitive cell death response (HR) of the infected host cell. The wheat (Triticum aestivum) NLR Pm2 confers resistance against the fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp.