Abstract: Novel DNA sequences have been acquired from pea plants which are central in the defense of pea plants against root rotting pathogens and other pathogens of plants species such as potato pathogen. A method is described for protecting dicaryotic plants (e.g. potato) transformed with reconstructions of these seqeunces which utilize the unique nature of their promoter (regulatory DNA sequence) sequences to enable them to respond to pathogen challenge in transgenic plants. This manipulated response resulting from expression of the coded structural gene assists in maintaining host cell viability and thus assists disease resistance.