Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (584 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The capacity of an organism to defend itself against pathological processes or the agents of those processes. This most often involves innate immunity whereby the organism responds to pathogens in a generic way. The term disease resistance is used most frequently when referring to plants.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Disease Resistances; Resistances, Disease; Resistance, Disease.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Disease Attributes; Immunity, Innate; Plant Immunity
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 15,680 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Disease Resistance” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 8,078 of them (51.5%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 8,078 records.
Reviews account for 1,343 records (8.6%) and meta-analyses for 38. Randomized controlled trials number 18 (0.1%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 0 |
| 2000-2009 | 4 |
| 2010-2019 | 7,759 |
| 2020 onward | 8,078 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,343 | 8.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 38 | 0.2% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 18 | 0.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Disease Resistance"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in immunology
Immune responses are studied in model organisms, in cells from donors and in patients, and the same pathway can behave differently across these settings. Mouse immune systems differ from human ones in important ways, and blood measurements may not reflect what happens in tissues. Clinical conclusions about immune-mediated disease or immunotherapy come mainly from controlled trials and long-term cohorts. Check the species and tissue studied, whether markers were linked to outcomes patients notice, and the follow-up time.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virulence on Pm4 kinase-based resistance is determined by two divergent wheat powdery mildew effectors | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 8 | cc by PMID 41526694 · DOI · PMC12830362 |
| Mechanistic Insights for Microbiome Application in Plant Disease Resistance | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41793016 · DOI · PMC12966624 |
| Changes in gene regulation are associated with the evolution of resistance to a novel parasite | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 41836432 · DOI · PMC12979160 |
Virulence on Pm4 kinase-based resistance is determined by two divergent wheat powdery mildew effectors [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The wheat resistance gene Pm4 encodes a kinase fusion protein and has gained particular attention as it confers race-specific resistance against two major wheat pathogens: powdery mildew and blast.
- Closing excerpt
- These multiple roles of a single effector provide a new perspective on fungal (a)virulence proteins and their combinatorial interactions with different types of immune receptors.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (150 words)
The wheat resistance gene Pm4 encodes a kinase fusion protein and has gained particular attention as it confers race-specific resistance against two major wheat pathogens: powdery mildew and blast. Here we describe the identification of AvrPm4, the mildew avirulence effector recognized by Pm4, using UV mutagenesis, and its functional validation in wheat protoplasts. We show that AvrPm4 directly interacts with and is phosphorylated by Pm4. Using genetic association and quantitative trait locus mapping, we further demonstrate that the evasion of Pm4 resistance by virulent mildew isolates relies on a second fungal component, SvrPm4, which suppresses AvrPm4-induced cell death. Surprisingly, SvrPm4 was previously described as AvrPm1a. We show that SvrPm4, but not its inactive variant svrPm4, is recognized by the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptor Pm1a. These multiple roles of a single effector provide a new perspective on fungal (a)virulence proteins and their combinatorial interactions with different types of immune receptors.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41526694 · DOI · PMC12830362
Mechanistic Insights for Microbiome Application in Plant Disease Resistance [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Plant diseases caused by biotic and abiotic stresses pose a great threat to both plant health and yield.
- Closing excerpt
- I also raise work and challenges that should be addressed, with the ultimate goal of informing more efficient microbiome application in sustainable agriculture.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (170 words)
Plant diseases caused by biotic and abiotic stresses pose a great threat to both plant health and yield. Plant microbiomes play a crucial role in improving disease resistance, representing a sustainable approach to enhance crop performance. Plant host factors, including genetic variation, metabolites and microRNA, shape the assembly and function of the plant microbiome, thereby augmenting disease resistance. This interplay presents opportunities for plant-mediated manipulation of microbiome to promote plant health. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the microbiome-mediated plant disease resistance, such as direct and indirect pathogen antagonism, niche pre-emption, alteration of microbiota and activation of plant defences. Nevertheless, the application of plant microbiome in the field remains limited due to the intrinsic complexity of plant-microbiome and environment-microbiome interactions. This review synthesises current knowledge on the roles of plant microbiomes in plant disease resistance. I further summarise the mechanisms underlying plant-guided microbiome modulation and probiotic-mediated disease suppression. I also raise work and challenges that should be addressed, with the ultimate goal of informing more efficient microbiome application in sustainable agriculture.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41793016 · DOI · PMC12966624
Changes in gene regulation are associated with the evolution of resistance to a novel parasite [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionHost-parasite interactions are ubiquitous and are important drivers of host diversification and evolution.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionOur results provide strong evidence that changes in gene regulation and increased negative feedback to mitigate immunopathology are essential steps in the evolutionary co-option of an existing pathway to defend against a new parasite infection.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (264 words)
IntroductionHost-parasite interactions are ubiquitous and are important drivers of host diversification and evolution. In particular, host immune systems are frequent targets of parasite-driven selection. The resulting rapid evolution of immune genes is usually framed as an ongoing 'arms race' between a co-evolving pair of host and parasite species. However, immune evolution may often be driven by the acquisition of a new and unfamiliar parasite. For instance, when marine populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) colonized freshwater lakes approximately 12,000 years ago, they encountered the freshwater-restricted cestode Schistocephalus solidus and evolved resistance.MethodsWe compared the transcriptomic responses of lab-reared sticklebacks from three populations of stickleback with varying cestode susceptibilities when exposed to several immune stimuli (alum, cestode protein, or a control injection).ResultsThe resulting changes in expression reveal strong evidence of shared and population-specific responses during the evolution of defense against a new parasite. Our investigation highlights the roles of several key immunological processes in underlying a general physiological response to tissue damage (fibrosis) and the importance of regulating fibrosis as a necessary step for its co-option into defense against S. solidus tapeworms. Furthermore, we highlighted changes in the expression of fibrosis-associated genes, which facilitate faster and more targeted deployment of this defense mechanism against parasites. Fish from the most fibrosis-prone population exhibited constitutively higher expression of fibrosis-associated genes and stronger downregulation of these genes after an initial stimulus from injected cestode proteins.ConclusionOur results provide strong evidence that changes in gene regulation and increased negative feedback to mitigate immunopathology are essential steps in the evolutionary co-option of an existing pathway to defend against a new parasite infection.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41836432 · DOI · PMC12979160
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Plant hormone-mediated regulation of stress responses [4]
- Research article The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment [5]
- Research article Mechanisms of cancer resistance in long-lived mammals [6]
- Research article Microbiota-mediated disease resistance in plants [7]
- Research article The role of host genetics in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity [8]
- Research article The role of volatiles in plant communication [9]
References
- Bernasconi Z, Herger AG, Caro MDP, Kunz L, Müller MC, Stirnemann U, et al.. Virulence on Pm4 kinase-based resistance is determined by two divergent wheat powdery mildew effectors. . 2026. PMID 41526694 · DOI · PMC12830362
- Yin J. Mechanistic Insights for Microbiome Application in Plant Disease Resistance. . 2026. PMID 41793016 · DOI · PMC12966624
- Fuess LE, Hund AK, Kenney ML, Maciejewski MF, Marini JM, Bolnick DI. Changes in gene regulation are associated with the evolution of resistance to a novel parasite. . 2026. PMID 41836432 · DOI · PMC12979160
- Verma V, Ravindran P, Kumar PP. Plant hormone-mediated regulation of stress responses. BMC Plant Biol. 2016. PMID 27079791 · DOI · PMC4831116
- Jones JDG, Staskawicz BJ, Dangl JL. The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment. Cell. 2024. PMID 38670067 · DOI
- Seluanov A, Gladyshev VN, Vijg J, Gorbunova V. Mechanisms of cancer resistance in long-lived mammals. Nat Rev Cancer. 2018. PMID 29622806 · DOI · PMC6015544
- Vannier N, Agler M, Hacquard S. Microbiota-mediated disease resistance in plants. PLoS Pathog. 2019. PMID 31194849 · DOI · PMC6564022
- Ovsyannikova IG, Haralambieva IH, Crooke SN, Poland GA, Kennedy RB. The role of host genetics in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Immunol Rev. 2020. PMID 32658335 · DOI · PMC7404857
- Bouwmeester H, Schuurink RC, Bleeker PM, Schiestl F. The role of volatiles in plant communication. Plant J. 2019. PMID 31410886 · DOI · PMC6899487
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.