pathotoxin

pathotoxin [¦path·ə¦täk·sən]

(plant pathology)

A chemical of biological origin, other than an enzyme, that plays an important causal role in a plant disease.

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Pathotoxin

A chemical of biological origin, other than an enzyme, that plays an important causal role in a plant disease. Most pathotoxins are produced by plant pathogenic fungi or bacteria, but some are produced by higher plants, and one has been reported to be the product of an interaction between a plant and a bacterial pathogen. Some pathogen-produced pathotoxins are highly selective in that they cause severe damage and typical disease symptoms only on plants susceptible to the pathogens that produce them. Others are nonselective and are equally toxic to plants susceptible or resistant to the pathogen involved. A few pathotoxins are species-selective, and are damaging to many but not all plant species. In these instances, some plants resistant to the pathogen are sensitive to its toxic product. See Plant pathology