Coconut palms are highly susceptible to diseases caused by different pathogens, and replanting with resistant varieties is the best way to manage them. Obtaining a collection of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) is an effective strategy to identify genomic regions linked to disease resistance. We have successfully used a comparative genomics approach to amplify putative RGAs from the coconut root (wilt) disease resistant cultivar Chowghat Green Dwarf (CGD) by using primers designed based on

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... rved motifs of the NBS-LRR domain of the date palm. The amplified sequences were cloned, sequenced and characterized. The coconut RGAs had high identity to monocot NBS-LRRs. A complete structural analysis and 3-D modeling of the NBS domain of coconut RGA was also undertaken. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the isolated coconut NBS-LRR class RGAs was expressed more in root (wilt) disease resistant genotypes than in susceptible ones. This study would provide a base for future efforts to map disease resistant traits in coconut.