Methods and compositions for making citrus plants with enhanced resistance to Asiatic citrus canker (ACC) and oth o er forms of citrus canker caused by Xanthonomas are provided. The methods involve transforming citrus plant cells with polynuc leotide constructs comprising a promoter operably linked to nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein that is capable of triggering cell death in a citrus plant. The promoters of the invention are inducible by one or more Xanthomonas strains that cause citrus canker. Isolated nucleic acid molecules and expression cassettes comprising such polynucleotide constructs and promoters are fur ther provided. Citrus plants with enhanced resistance to citrus canker are also provided.
