Wheat has a genetic Achilles heel against rust

Gene in common wheat that promotes the fungal diseases yellow rust and black rust identified.

A team of researchers from John Innes Centre identified a common wheat gene (Triticum aestivum), which acts as a promoter of yellow rust and black rust, fungal infections that attack this breadmaking cereal worldwide, in a very destructive way and with great economic impact.

Disrupting the function of this gene makes wheat more resistant to these diseases, according to a published news on the website of that international center of excellence in Plant Science.

Yellow rust under the microscope — Yellow rust on a wheat leaf. © John Innes Center

In a study published in The Plant Cell, The scientists conclude that the gene, called TaBCAT1, is activated (becomes expressed) at an early stage of yellow rust infection - caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici.When these fungi attack, they activate (induce) and deactivate specific genes to prevent the wheat from defending itself. If successful, the plant is unable to eliminate the invader and ends up getting sick.

Eliminating this gene in mutant plants drastically reduced infection. “We were amazed to see that removing just this one gene in our mutant plants makes them alert their defense responses even before they are attacked,” says Pilar Corredor-Moreno, first author of the study.

The full scientific article is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab049