It plays a role in the resistance to pathogens by inducing the production of pathogenesis-related proteins.

Some of them are grape pathogenesis-related proteins.

Infections also activate genes that produce PR proteins (pathogenesis-related proteins).

Infections activate genes that produce PR proteins.

Like other PR proteins, thaumatin is predicted to have a mainly beta structure, with a high content of beta-turns and little helix.

The similarity between this PR protein and other PR proteins to the maize alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor has suggested PR proteins may act as some form of inhibitor.