Quantitative disease resistance: Multifaceted players in plant defense

In contrast to large-effect qualitative disease resistance, quantitative disease resistance (QDR) exhibits partial and generally durable resistance and has been extensively utilized in crop breeding. The molecular mechanisms underlying QDR remain largely unknown but considerable progress has been made in this area in recent years. In this review, we summarize the genes that have been associated with plant QDR and their biological functions. Many QDR genes belong to the canonical resistance gene categories with predicted functions in pathogen perception, signal transduction, phytohormone homeostasis, metabolite transport and biosynthesis, and epigenetic regulation. However, other “atypical” QDR genes are predicted to be involved in processes that are not commonly associated with disease resistance, such as vesicle trafficking, molecular chaperones, and others. This diversity of function for QDR genes contrasts with qualitative resistance, which is often based on the actions of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) resistance proteins. An understanding of the diversity of QDR mechanisms and of which mechanisms are effective against which classes of pathogens will enable the more effective deployment of QDR to produce more durably resistant, resilient crops.