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In our effort to identify resistance sources to be used in breeding programs to enhance brown rot resistance in fruits, we realized that the literature describing this fruit-fungus interaction mostly covered chemical, physical and biological control methods of the disease, as recently reviewed in Martini and Mari (2013) and Rugjindamai et al. (2014). In turn, articles regarding intrinsic plant mechanisms conferring resistance to the fungus were comparatively few, scattered and not always easily available. In this review we comprehensively compiled the scientific articles regarding the chemical and biological elements involved in the interaction between Monilinia fungal species and fruits from Prunus trees. Special focus is presented about: i) the world distribution and host range of Monilinia species; ii) the development of the infection; iii) the pathogenic biochemical arsenal of the fungus; iv) the biological mechanisms and attributes conferring defence against this necrotroph, and v) the reported sources of natural resistance in different Prunus species, as well as the screening methods used to identify such materials. Given the impact of the disease on stone fruit production worldwide, and the fact that the most used solution to overcome the disease is the application of synthetic fungicides to the plant, with the related drawbacks to food and environmental safety, this review is a valuable tool for researchers working in the development of alternative control strategies, including studying genetic resistance to Monilinia brown rot.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64 (20); DOI 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00104