Front cover -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Contributors -- Part 1: Introduction to molecular phytopathology -- Chapter 0: Overview on parasitism -- Types of host-parasite relationship -- Features of parasites -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 1: Plant parasite microorganisms -- Fungal plant pathogens -- Bacterial plant pathogens -- Plant viruses and viral plant diseases -- Parasitic nematodes as plant pathogens -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 2: Structural basis of plant-pathogen interactions -- Alterations of plant and pathogen structures during infection process -- Structural features of the plant cell response to infections -- Biotrophic infections -- Necrotrophic infections -- Conclusion -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 3: Advanced methods of plant pathogen diagnostics -- Antigen-antibody interaction-based diagnostics -- Diagnostics based on nucleic acid analysis -- Conclusion -- Using plant pathogen metabolites in diagnostics and research of plant-pathogen relationships -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 4: Phenomenology of plant-parasite relations -- Types of resistance -- Genetics of resistance -- Phenotypic manifestation of resistance -- Relations with parasites -- Selected Literature -- Part 2: Biochemistry and molecular biology of plant-parasite relations -- Chapter 5: Horizontal pathosystem: parasite attack factors -- Biosynthetic processes during fungal differentiation and penetration -- Suppression of plant defenses -- Changes in metabolism of infected cells and tissues -- Transport in the plant -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 6: Horizontal pathosystem: resistance factors -- Anatomical-morphological resistance factors -- Regulation of ontogenesis and damage reparation -- Nutrient value of infected organs and tissues -- Biochemical resistance factors -- Selected Literature.

Chapter 7: Vertical pathosystem: avirulence genes and their products -- Molecular interpretation of genetic data -- Abiogenic elicitors -- Nonspecific biogenic elicitors -- Endogenous plant or secondary elicitors -- Avirulence genes and specific elicitors -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 8: Vertical pathosystem: resistance genes and their products. Signal transduction -- Resistance genes and susceptibility genes -- Signal transduction -- Conclusion -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 9: Hypersensitivity -- Morphological alterations in cells during apoptosis and necrosis -- Genes involved in plant cell death - paranoid mutants -- Signalling -- Conclusion -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 10: Immune response -- Phytoalexins -- PR-proteins -- Antiviral proteins -- Inhibitor of viral replication -- Proteinase inhibitors -- Phenylpropanoids and lignin -- Oxyproline-rich glycoproteins -- Modification of plant gene expression at nematode invasion -- Systemic acquired resistance -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 11: RNA silencing as a general defence mechanism against pathogens -- Introduction -- Coexistence and discovery of RNA silencing -- Key characteristics and triggers of RNA silencing -- Why RNA silencing mechanism exists? -- Suppression of RNA silencing by plant virus-encoded proteins -- RNA silencing in plant breeding -- Techniques used to analyze viral suppressor activity -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 12: Virulence genes and their products -- Suppressors (impedins) -- Pathotoxins -- Enzymes degrading antimicrobial plant compounds -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 13: General and specific aspects of plant and animal immunity -- Immunomodulators of pathogenic microorganisms -- Host immune molecules -- Signal transduction and immune response -- Conclusion -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 14: Beneficial plant-microbe interactions.

Nitrogen-fixing symbioses -- Mycorrhizae -- Defensive symbioses -- Ecological and agricultural impacts of beneficial plant-microbe interactions -- Selected Literature -- Part 3: Practical use of molecular studies -- Chapter 15: Molecular basis of plant immunization -- Vaccination -- Immunization -- Selected Literature -- Chapter 16: Creation of disease-resistant plants by gene engineering -- Methods of transgenic plant creation -- Development of transgenic plants resistant to viral disease -- Development of transgenic plants resistant to fungal diseases -- Enhancement of plant resistance to bacterial diseases by genetic engineering -- Possible limitations of commercial use of bioengineering methods in creation of plants resistant against bacterial diseases -- Selected Literature -- Conclusion -- References -- Index.