The case for the defense: plants versus Pseudomonas syringae

Incredible progress has been made over the last 20 years in understanding the components and mechanisms governing plant innate immunity. The most important discoveries concern pathogen recognition mechanisms, which divide perception of conserved elicitors at the cell periphery, and recognition of variable elicitors within the host cytoplasm. The underlying mechanisms of immunity post elicitation are complex and poorly defined. This review highlights emergent themes in plant–microbe interactions with a particular focus on the plant immune responses against infection by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae.