The most recent major advances in the study of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants include the observation that peptide inhibitors of caspases inhibit the hypersensitive response. Nitric oxide has been shown to be required for the induction of disease related PCD. Mutant analysis has led to the cloning of the first genes involved in PCD related disease resistance, LSD1 and MLO.
Department of Biology and Curriculum in Genetics, Coker Hall Rm 108, CB3280 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-33280, USA.
