Methods for protecting a plant from a plant pathogenic fungus are provided. A method for enhancing fungal pathogen resistance in a plant using the nucleotide sequences disclosed herein is further provided. The method comprises introducing into a plant an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antifungal polypeptide of the invention. Transformed plants, plant cells, seeds, and microorganisms comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antifungal polypeptide of the embodiments, or variant or fragment thereof, are also disclosed.