SUMMARY It is becoming increasingly evident that a plant-pathogen interaction may be compared to an open warfare, whose major weapons are proteins synthesized by both organisms. These weapons were gradually developed in what must have been a multimillion-year evolutionary game of ping-pong. The outcome of each battle results in the establishment of resistance or pathogenesis. The plethora of resistance mechanisms exhibited by plants may be grouped into constitutive and inducible, and range from morphological to structural and chemical defences. Most of these mechanisms are defensive, exhibiting a passive role, but some are highly active against pathogens, using as major targets the fungal cell wall, the plasma membrane or intracellular targets. A considerable overlap exists between pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins and antifungal proteins. However, many of the now considered 17 families of PR proteins do not present any known role as antipathogen activity, whereas among the 13 classes of antifungal proteins, most are not PR proteins. Discovery of novel antifungal proteins and peptides continues at a rapid pace. In their long coevolution with plants, phytopathogens have evolved ways to avoid or circumvent the plant defence weaponry. These include protection of fungal structures from plant defence reactions, inhibition of elicitor-induced plant defence responses and suppression of plant defences. A detailed understanding of the molecular events that take place during a plant-pathogen interaction is an essential goal for disease control in the future.

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There was a very significant fall in the NRS scores over the first 3 months (P < 0.0001). On an individual basis, all patients had a fall of the NRS score of at least 4 points at the 3-month follow-up. A follow-up of 12.8 months (range 6-25, median 9) was available for five patients. All these patients are now pain free, except for one patient with an NRS score of 2. Conclusion. It is concluded that this method merits a controlled, prospective study.

Little information is available concerning the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and their effect properties on the major fungal pathogens of grape. A systematic study was performed on the effect of total or individual grape proteins on mycelial growth, spore germination, and germ tube growth of Uncinula necator, Phomopsis viticola, and Botrytis cinerea. Two proteins, identified as PR proteins by immunological methods and by N-terminal sequencing as osmotin and thaumatin-like protein, exhibited strong antifungal activities in vitro, blocking the growth of Phomopsis viticola and Botrytis cinerea mycelia. In addition, they inhibited spore germination and germ tube growth of U. necator, Phomopsis viticola, and Botrytis cinerea. The presence of both proteins displayed a synergistic effect. The expression of osmotin and thaumatin-like protein was induced in grapevine leaves and berries infected with U. necator and Phomopsis viticola. Thaumatin previously was thought to occur exclusively in berries. Immunoblot analyses revealed the accumulation of the two PR proteins in infected leaves and berries, supporting a role in vivo in increasing the resistance of grapevine to fungal attack.