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Science 8 May 2009:
Vol. 324. no. 5928, pp. 748 - 750
DOI: 10.1126/science.1171652
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Perspective

Terrific Protein Traffic: The Mystery of Effector Protein Delivery by Filamentous Plant Pathogens

Ralph Panstruga1,* and Peter N. Dodds2,*

Many biotrophic fungal and oomycete plant pathogens deliver effector proteins directly into host cells during infection. Recent advances are revealing the extensive effector repertoires of these pathogens and are beginning to shed light on how they manipulate host cells to establish a parasitic relationship. Surprisingly, oomycete effectors seem to share a common uptake system with those from the human malaria pathogen. The current explosion of information is opening new research avenues in molecular plant pathology and is providing new opportunities to limit the impact of plant disease on food production.

1 Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Köln, Germany.
2 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Plant Industry, General Post Office Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: panstrug{at}mpiz-koeln.mpg.de (R.P.); peter.dodds{at}csiro.au (P.N.D.)

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)