Simplified assays for evaluation of resistance to Alternaria brassicicola and Turnip Mosaic Virus

Abstract

Studying the natural defense mechanisms developed by model plants such as Arabidopsis is an important approach towards the improvement of crop species. The availability of mutants as well as the relative easiness to silence any gene in Arabidopsis provides an invaluable source of genotypes that can be used to discover new elements involved in the defense response. Here we describe simple and reliable methods to evaluate susceptibility/resistance to the pathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola and the viral pathogen Turnip mosaic virus.