Participation of proteolytic enzymes in the interaction of plants with phytopathogenic microorganisms.

Different forms of participation of proteolytic enzymes in pathogenesis and plant defense are reviewed. Together with extracellular proteinases, phytopathogenic microorganisms produce specific effectors with proteolytic activity and are able to act on proteins inside the plant cell. In turn, plants use both extracellular and intracellular proteinases for defense against phytopathogenic microorganisms. Among the latter, a special role belongs to vacuolar processing enzymes (legumains), which perform the function of caspases in the plant cell.