Host Cell Wall Damage during Pathogen Infection: Mechanisms of Perception and Role in Plant-Pathogen Interactions.
The plant cell wall (CW) is a complex structure that acts as a mechanical barrier, restricting
the access to most microbes. Phytopathogenic microorganisms can deploy an arsenal of CWdegrading
enzymes (CWDEs) that are required for virulence. In turn, plants have evolved proteins
able to inhibit the activity of specific microbial CWDEs, reducing CW damage and favoring the
accumulation of CW-derived fragments that act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)
and trigger an immune response in the host. CW-derived DAMPs might be a component of the