Abstract:As the rapid development of molecular biological techniques, scientists have achieved a great deal in probing the
plant-pathogen (bacteria and fungi) interaction at molecular level. Nine plant disease-resistant genes (R genes)
have been cloned and they can be divided into four classes. The most important characteristic of R genes is that
they encode a leucine rich repeat motif or a serine-threonine protein kinase motif. They might involve in the
specific recognition between host and pathogen, activating the subsequent signal transduction which leads to the
hypersensitive response in the host plant. The common feature of coding for leucine rich repeat motif and tandem
arraying in the chromosomes seem indicating the common ancestral for these genes. This paper also summarizes
the current work on studies of anti-fungal and- bacterial genes at molecular level in the authors’ laboratories.